Don’t Let the World Steal Your Joy

We’re in a season of life when a lot of folks are really anxious about what’s happening. Elections are coming up, and all these messages are flooding in. Do you all get tired of those same old things showing up in your mailbox every day, day in and day out?

It won’t be long before the TV ads are nonstop, along with the radio ads and everything else. It’s all just noise, and we’re getting knotted up.

I was thinking about that. There’s a lot in our lives that gets us knotted up. There’s a lot that takes our joy away.

It can be the political climate of the day. It can be situations in our homes or at work. It can be our health. It can be situations in our lives that nobody sees—things we struggle with privately.

Those things get us knotted up and steal our joy, giving Satan little victories in our lives. He is the one who comes to kill, steal, and destroy. His prime objective, I believe, is to take our focus off Jesus and out of the Word. When he does that, he begins to steal and destroy our peace and our joy—the things Jesus brings us—and leave us in a rather numb state.

Have any of you ever been in that numb state before, when you just feel like that?

God impressed on me that we need a reminder today, and He wouldn’t let me move away from this. No matter what’s happening in all the circles of your life, there is one constant that remains true: God’s love for you.

No matter what’s happening in your life, that remains true. God loves you.

Turn to the eighth chapter of Romans.

There you go. I like to see that. That’s right—reach down for that Book.

If you haven’t got a Bible of your own, we have some copies back here. You’re welcome to one, free of charge. If you have one but didn’t bring it with you, you can grab the pew Bible in front of you.

Open the Word of God. It’s important. You need to see what the preacher is saying for yourself. When the church gets to where it won’t look in that Word, that’s when the wolf can pull the fleece over your eyes. Don’t let it happen.

If I ever do that, show me the door.

The eighth chapter of Romans offers encouragement for the church today, because we need encouragement. If there has ever been a time when the church needs to walk through this world with joy, peace, and confidence in what God has done for us—and what He will do for others around us—it’s right now.

This world is an awful place. Amen?

When we watch the news or look at social media, every now and then we just groan. Sometimes it makes you say, “I don’t even feel like going outside today. I’m just going to stay secluded.”

Right? No.

Remember God’s love for you and God’s love for other people.

What does Romans 8:35 say?

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

Who? You could also ask, “What?”

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Who is “us”?

“People in the church.”

People in the church. Is it just people in the church?

“Believers.”

Is it just believers?

To anyone who hears this message, it applies—saved or unsaved, even those who haven’t heard the message yet. Right? Who can separate us from the love of God?

You might say, “Now, preacher, wait a minute.” That’s where the church might say, “Let’s just back up a minute.”

Do you remember the Scripture verse that was read over the quilt?

“For God so loved”—who?

Who is the world made up of? Just say, “Saints and sinners.” Right?

Saints and sinners. For God so loved all the world’s saints and sinners. So who shall separate us from that love?

Has God stopped loving the church?

You can say, “No.” I’m looking for responses today!

Has God stopped loving the sinner? No.

Does God see anybody as unredeemable? No.

God so loved the world. So who can separate us—the world, His creation—from the love of Christ?

“Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

Is there anything we do in this world that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus?

Not from His point of view, because He is always standing there. He is always waiting. He is always ready.

His love and His hope are for us. The Bible tells us that He desires that none should perish, but that all should come to life in Jesus Christ. That is His desire for everybody born into this world.

What can separate us from the love of God?

Go down to verse 37:

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

His love is a continual flow toward us, available to anyone who will receive Jesus Christ.

Think of the dirtiest, most rotten scoundrel in the whole world. If that person will see Jesus for who He is and call upon His name, that person will be saved in the love of God. God is continually offering that love to the whole world.

Thousands have found Christ worldwide in the last few days. Yes, He is continually offering that love.

What can keep us from the love of God? It comes down to what we choose individually to do with the love God has given us—the personal choice of what to do with Jesus when we hear the message.

Do I choose to believe it? Do I choose to trust it? Do I choose to follow Him? Do I choose to accept Him?

The only one who can keep the love of God from affecting you is you.

What I want us to understand today is that Satan, in his mission to kill, steal, and destroy, wants us all knotted up by the things going on around us. He wants us to forget the love God has poured out for us and for every living soul.

We become so distracted by the moment we live in and the circumstances around us that we forget what awaits us.

The Bible tells us that our life here on this earth, in this flesh, is but a what?

“A vapor.”

A vapor. If I successfully live through this sixty-fourth year of my life, those sixty-four years are still nothing compared to eternity. Right?

What happens in eternity for those who love Jesus, who have embraced Him, and who have received forgiveness through His blood?

When I get to the other side, I won’t be worried about politics. I won’t be worried about my health or my financial situation. I won’t be worried about struggles within my family. I won’t be worried about anything.

There I will be whole, healthy, and happy. Jesus—all that I need, and all that I really need in this world, too—will be everything I need. We will be in His presence for eternity.

But what happens in the world if the church allows its surroundings and the messages of this world to dampen our joy and rob us of our peace?

How is the hope of Christ seen and heard when the church is feeling the weight of the world instead of rejoicing in the hope of Jesus?

We have to rejoice in the hope of Jesus.

What is that hope? Where is that hope?

Here’s the promise. Turn to 1 John, chapter 5.

Now, I’m going to read this, and if there aren’t some Moravians shouting when you hear it, I’m going to have to bring an infusion of the Holy Ghost into this place!

I don’t know who ever said Moravians weren’t shouting people. Go to Zambia. Go to Africa.

Start at verse 4:

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.”

Amen! There you go.

The world is what bothers us. It causes us problems and gets us all out of sorts. But you are a conqueror in Jesus Christ. You have already overcome the world.

Amen. Hallelujah. Thank You, Jesus!

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Do you believe?

Do you believe that God raised His Son from the grave to life, and that He lives now, seated at the right hand of the Father? Do you believe?

If you believe that, then is there anything in your life that the God who raised Jesus from the dead cannot overcome?

No. There is nothing in your life that God cannot overcome.

“Oh, my goodness. Really?”

Yes!

“Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

If you believe in Jesus Christ, you have overcome the world. You are the victor.

If you’ve sat under my teaching of Revelation, you know that a lot of folks say, “Preacher, that’s rather simplistic.”

Yes, it is.

At the beginning of Revelation, Jesus tells us who He is: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” He is telling us, “I am God.”

At the end, He is the one who says, “Behold, I make all things new.”

That is the victory. And who resides with Him in victory?

We know the end of the story. Why are we so knotted up about what’s going on in this world?

If anything, it means Jesus is a little closer to coming back. It isn’t going to get a whole lot better, so we have to walk in our faith. We cannot let Satan steal our joy and our peace. We have to walk in that truth.

We cannot let the world overcome us, because we belong to the Victor—the one who has overcome the world.

Do you know when Jesus overcame the world?

The world thought it had Him.

“Drive those nails, boys.”

The world thought it had Him.

“Hoist that cross up.”

The world thought it had Him.

“Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.”

The world thought it had Him.

With His last breath, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”

He went limp and died on the cross. The world was certain it had Him.

He was buried in a tomb. The world was happy. They had Him.

Three days later, the tomb was empty.

Death couldn’t hold Him.

For forty days, He walked on this earth in this new life, in a nail-scarred body. Then He ascended into heaven.

The world never had Him. And the world won’t have you either, if you belong to Jesus.

So don’t let the outside interference of the world rob you of your joy. There is nothing that can separate you from the love of Jesus.

Nothing.

Now, I say that, and I realize there are things that weigh heavily on us at times. Sometimes we need an opportunity just to lay them down.

Sometimes we need to be reminded that what stands between us and what God is doing—and wants to do—in our lives is that we haven’t let go of things that are weighing us down. We hold on to things that keep us from growing spiritually.

I want to give us an opportunity this morning to bring those things to Him.

I want to give that invitation through a song I haven’t sung in thirty years, and Michelle hasn’t played in thirty years.

But I’m going to sing it. As I sing these words, if you need to pray, you can pray where you are. You can come down around the altar.

If you need prayer with me or someone else, you’re welcome to come to the altar. When I finish, I will pray with you.

If something in your heart is robbing you of your joy or taking your peace, whatever the circumstance, remember today that the love of God is with you, on you, and in you.

Give Satan the boot and reclaim that joy and peace today.

Michelle?

There is a Savior,
What joys express!
His eyes are mercy,
His word is rest.
For each tomorrow,
For yesterday,
There is a Savior
Who lights our way.

Are there burdens in your heart?
Is your past a memory that binds you?
Is there some pain
That you’ve carried far too long?

Then strengthen your heart
With this good news:
There is a Savior,
And He’s forgiven you.

There is a Savior,
What joys express!
His eyes are mercy,
His word is rest.
For each tomorrow,
For yesterday,
There is a Savior
Who lights our way.

I don’t know if I can get past the high part, so we’ll leave it there.

There is a Savior who loves you very much. He has not left you. He has not forsaken you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

In the darkest times of our lives, in the challenging times, turn to Him. When things feel all knotted up inside, go to Him.

Don’t let this world steal your joy. Don’t let it take your peace.

Closing Prayer

Father, I pray in this house, over this congregation, and over Your people, wherever they may be.

Father, do not let our joy and our peace be taken. Let us claim Your promise.

Let us move forward in the midst of difficult times and dark times with Your promise and Your hope.

Let us not just hold that hope as our own. Let us present it to those around us who are living in darkness and turmoil, so they may hear Your truth and know that Your Word tells us not to put our trust in princes and rulers, but in You.

Father, let us walk in the joy of the Lord. Let us speak of Your goodness and Your good news. Let us be beacons of hope in a world that has just gone crazy.

May You receive the honor and the glory. May Jesus be lifted high and exalted, and may He draw all people to Himself.

Father, for those who have lifted their prayers to You today, restore joy. Restore peace. Make a way of hope in the midst of all they are facing.

In all these things, Lord, thank You. Thank You.

In Jesus’ name, amen.