WEBVTT - Breaking Through the Gloom -- Part 1 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:03.760 Today on bold steps, Mark Jobe has a timely message 0:00:03.760 --> 0:00:05.559 about breaking through the gloom. 0:00:06.040 --> 0:00:10.280 When I see someone with joy serving God with gladness, 0:00:10.600 --> 0:00:13.920 it makes me attracted to what they have. When I 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:19.320 see someone grumpy, sad, discontent, unsatisfied, unhappy, it makes me say, hey, 0:00:19.320 --> 0:00:21.960 I don't want what they have because there's enough of 0:00:22.000 --> 0:00:24.160 that going around in the world. 0:00:37.800 --> 0:00:41.240 Welcome to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. Mark is founding 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:45.880 pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Well, 0:00:45.880 --> 0:00:48.640 with all the sadness and worry and darkness in the world, 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:51.120 it can sometimes be difficult to see the good in life. 0:00:51.120 --> 0:00:54.400 So how would you define yourself? Are you typically full 0:00:54.400 --> 0:00:57.720 of joy or do you find yourself feeling gloomy? Mark, 0:00:57.720 --> 0:00:59.400 let's address this head on today. 0:00:59.440 --> 0:01:01.800 You know, Wayne, if you live in the same world 0:01:01.800 --> 0:01:04.880 that I live in. Turn on the news. Listen to 0:01:04.920 --> 0:01:13.039 the radio. It's just seems to be full of bad news, violence, war, tragedy, 0:01:13.080 --> 0:01:17.360 just a lot of bickering, fighting. And it's easy to 0:01:17.400 --> 0:01:22.040 just succumb to that. And so I believe as followers 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:26.920 of Jesus, we need to deliberately and intentionally work on 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:30.600 breaking through the gloom that surround us. Psalms 100 is 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:36.120 an amazing chapter that really has some principles that help us, 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:39.679 I think, poke our head over the clouds and above 0:01:39.680 --> 0:01:40.319 the gloom. 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:42.959 Psalm 100. If you want to join us there in Scripture, 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:45.360 and this may be just the antidote you need today 0:01:45.360 --> 0:01:47.920 for how you're feeling. So let's break through the gloom 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:50.360 now here on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. 0:01:51.640 --> 0:01:54.520 As I mentioned earlier, I've been seeing a lot of anger, 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:59.800 a lot of depression, a lot of frustration, a lot 0:01:59.840 --> 0:02:05.410 of A sadness and a lot of gloominess throughout Chicago. 0:02:05.410 --> 0:02:08.889 And not just Chicago, but throughout the world that we 0:02:08.889 --> 0:02:13.490 live in. And it's easy to get sucked into that dark, 0:02:13.730 --> 0:02:18.530 gloomy perspective on life. All you have to do is 0:02:18.530 --> 0:02:23.770 turn on the 10:00 news. Watching ten minutes of news 0:02:23.770 --> 0:02:30.530 can depress you. There's stories of ISIS encroachment in the 0:02:30.530 --> 0:02:39.010 Middle East, racial divide, protest in the streets, economic collapse 0:02:39.250 --> 0:02:43.489 here in Chicago. There's always a story of someone getting 0:02:43.490 --> 0:02:48.690 shot and killed. Some act of violence, someone being jumped. 0:02:50.210 --> 0:02:56.050 The economist worry about a collapse of the economy. We 0:02:56.050 --> 0:03:00.250 see fighting among the top echelon of our political society 0:03:01.130 --> 0:03:07.450 Distrust for the government has invaded our society at large. 0:03:07.650 --> 0:03:11.169 There's an insecurity around the world about what does this 0:03:11.169 --> 0:03:17.330 future hold? And it's easy for people in this atmosphere 0:03:17.570 --> 0:03:22.930 to get worried, to get anxious. In fact, a university 0:03:22.930 --> 0:03:28.290 in California did a survey recently, an extensive survey among Americans, 0:03:28.290 --> 0:03:33.650 and discovered that the top worries and concerns of Americans are. These. 0:03:34.010 --> 0:03:40.010 Chapman University discovered that 60% of the Americans worry about 0:03:40.010 --> 0:03:45.690 the corruption of. Government officials like this worry that there's 0:03:45.690 --> 0:03:52.570 a lot of corrupt politicians in Washington. 41% worry about 0:03:52.610 --> 0:03:56.210 terrorist attacks like. What if it happens in our city? 0:03:56.610 --> 0:04:02.460 What if it happens in our neighborhood? 39% of Americans 0:04:03.300 --> 0:04:07.980 worry about not having enough money for the future. And 0:04:07.980 --> 0:04:10.180 what will happen when I retire? Will I be living 0:04:10.180 --> 0:04:13.820 in the poor house? Can I pay my mortgage? Can 0:04:13.820 --> 0:04:18.179 I send my kids to college in three years? How's 0:04:18.180 --> 0:04:20.700 the economy going to be? Will there be another collapse 0:04:20.700 --> 0:04:27.060 like in 2007? 38% of Americans worry about being a 0:04:27.060 --> 0:04:34.060 victim of terror, domestic or international terror. 38% of Americans 0:04:34.060 --> 0:04:39.100 worry about someone they love dying. What if my husband dies? 0:04:40.339 --> 0:04:43.940 What about my 19 year old son? That's out to 0:04:43.980 --> 0:04:47.580 1:00 in the morning in Chicago. He's not home. This 0:04:47.580 --> 0:04:55.300 is a crazy city. What if something happens to him? 37% 0:04:56.220 --> 0:05:03.339 worry about economic or financial collapse of our nation. 35% 0:05:03.900 --> 0:05:07.180 of people worry that someone that they love will become 0:05:07.180 --> 0:05:12.420 seriously ill. I mean, there is despair all around. I 0:05:12.420 --> 0:05:16.820 talked to one person recently that works in the social, uh, 0:05:16.820 --> 0:05:22.140 social service sector. And he told me that, that the 0:05:22.380 --> 0:05:26.660 suicide hotline in Chicago has been ringing off the hook 0:05:26.700 --> 0:05:30.460 these last couple of weeks. That they can't keep up. 0:05:30.460 --> 0:05:34.820 There's been an escalating demand of suicide council because a 0:05:34.860 --> 0:05:40.500 lot of people are afraid, concerned, worried about the future, 0:05:41.260 --> 0:05:44.580 discouraged about where our country may be going or may 0:05:44.580 --> 0:05:47.980 not be going. Concerned about the world, looking at where 0:05:47.980 --> 0:05:51.100 we're raising our kids and worried what's going to happen 0:05:51.100 --> 0:05:54.380 when my five year old is 20 years old? What 0:05:54.380 --> 0:05:57.300 kind of world will they be living in? What? What 0:05:57.300 --> 0:06:03.270 are we going into? This future looks dark black. Discouraging. 0:06:05.350 --> 0:06:08.830 I was thinking about this not too long ago. I 0:06:08.870 --> 0:06:11.550 do a lot of traveling, and I was thinking about 0:06:11.550 --> 0:06:17.670 some of my take offs from the O'Hare airport, and 0:06:17.670 --> 0:06:19.510 there's been times when I've been on the runway at 0:06:19.510 --> 0:06:24.190 O'Hare airport, and it's drizzly and dark and gloomy. It 0:06:24.190 --> 0:06:28.310 looks like the weather's terrible. And then that airplane starts 0:06:28.310 --> 0:06:30.589 to take off, and it starts to go down that runway. 0:06:30.589 --> 0:06:33.350 As it begins to catch speed, the front wheel of 0:06:33.350 --> 0:06:36.310 the airplane begins to lift off, and pretty soon all 0:06:36.310 --> 0:06:38.830 wheels are off the ground. And as I look out 0:06:38.830 --> 0:06:42.870 the side window, the engines of the airplane roaring my 0:06:42.870 --> 0:06:45.630 head pulled back a little bit because the impetus of 0:06:45.630 --> 0:06:48.870 the engine wings and I start looking out the window and. 0:06:48.910 --> 0:06:51.909 And I see that the the city becomes smaller and 0:06:51.910 --> 0:06:55.310 smaller and smaller. It looks gloomy, it looks dark, it 0:06:55.310 --> 0:06:57.510 looks rainy. And then we go into the clouds. And 0:06:57.510 --> 0:07:00.029 as we go into the clouds, it even gets darker 0:07:00.029 --> 0:07:03.830 because all I can see is clouds going by. It 0:07:03.830 --> 0:07:07.630 looks like the world is this dark, gloomy, confusing place. 0:07:07.790 --> 0:07:11.550 But as the airplane continues to escalate and it goes 0:07:11.550 --> 0:07:18.390 further and further above. Then suddenly something happens. The higher 0:07:18.390 --> 0:07:23.470 it goes. Eventually the nose of the plane breaks through 0:07:23.470 --> 0:07:28.710 the clouds and above the clouds you see this bright, beautiful, 0:07:28.710 --> 0:07:33.470 sunny day. You see under the clouds. It looks like 0:07:33.470 --> 0:07:36.470 the whole world is gloomy. But when I get above 0:07:36.470 --> 0:07:38.870 the clouds, I realize, no, the sun is just as 0:07:38.870 --> 0:07:42.870 bright as it's always been. It hasn't hidden itself from Chicago. 0:07:43.430 --> 0:07:46.550 The sun is bright. The day is clear because all 0:07:46.550 --> 0:07:49.830 I have to do is get above the gloom. To realize. 0:07:49.830 --> 0:07:53.790 The sun is still shining. The warmth is still there. 0:07:54.030 --> 0:07:58.910 This is a beautiful day, and for some of us, spiritually, 0:07:58.910 --> 0:08:02.200 it's the same way. some of you are living under 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:05.000 a cloud right now, and you feel like this world 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:07.760 is dark and gloomy. But today, my hope is that 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:11.200 you would start to navigate above the clouds of doom 0:08:11.200 --> 0:08:14.400 and the atmosphere of doom that you feel. My hope 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:16.640 is that you would raise your head above the cloud 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:20.320 of the circumstances, the political atmosphere that we live in, 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.280 the violence of Chicago, and that you would begin to 0:08:23.280 --> 0:08:26.360 grasp and see a little bit of the glory of 0:08:26.360 --> 0:08:29.280 God that is above the clouds, and you will realize 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:33.240 God is still on the throne. He is still powerful, high, 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:36.720 and lifted up. He has not lost his power. He 0:08:36.720 --> 0:08:41.080 has not lost control. God is still on the throne 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:46.040 of this world. And so in order to look at 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:48.679 that a little bit better, I want to turn your 0:08:48.679 --> 0:08:53.560 attention to Psalm chapter 100. How many of you have 0:08:53.559 --> 0:08:58.080 a have trouble remembering where to find something in the Bible? 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:01.040 How many of you say, I know it's somewhere in 0:09:01.040 --> 0:09:05.200 the Bible? I just can't remember the chapter and verse. Well, 0:09:05.200 --> 0:09:07.319 this is going to be an easy one to remember. 0:09:07.320 --> 0:09:11.199 This is Psalm 100. Say it out loud. Psalm. What? 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:15.079 So today I want to talk to you about really 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:21.040 what it means to keep it 100. Now that has 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.720 a double meaning, but for us it means keeping it 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:27.400 100 with Psalm 100 and learning to take on a 0:09:27.400 --> 0:09:32.000 100 attitude that is found in Psalm 100. From now on, 0:09:32.000 --> 0:09:35.320 when your attitude starts dipping, when you start getting gloomy, 0:09:35.360 --> 0:09:37.040 I want you to think to yourself, hey, I want 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:40.880 to keep it 100. You don't know what that means. 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:42.640 Just ask your 20 year old 16 year old. They'll 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:46.880 tell you all about that. So to break through the 0:09:46.880 --> 0:09:50.400 gloom and to keep it 100, I want to read 0:09:50.400 --> 0:09:56.000 to you Psalm 100. Psalm 100 says this make a 0:09:56.000 --> 0:10:00.330 joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the 0:10:00.330 --> 0:10:05.050 Lord with gladness. Come into his presence with singing. Know 0:10:05.050 --> 0:10:09.130 that the Lord he is God. It is he who 0:10:09.130 --> 0:10:13.370 has made us, and we are his. We are his 0:10:13.370 --> 0:10:18.050 people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates 0:10:18.050 --> 0:10:23.089 with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him. 0:10:23.090 --> 0:10:28.890 Bless his name. Yeah. For the Lord is good. His 0:10:28.890 --> 0:10:37.890 steadfast love endures forever and his faithfulness to all generations. 0:10:38.250 --> 0:10:41.730 Psalm 100. So if you're wanting to break through the 0:10:41.730 --> 0:10:43.890 gloom today, and if you're trying to figure out how 0:10:43.890 --> 0:10:46.730 you can take a better attitude on life, I want 0:10:46.770 --> 0:10:51.130 to give you four things that that Psalm 100 tells 0:10:51.130 --> 0:10:54.130 us to put into practice if we're going to break 0:10:54.130 --> 0:10:59.650 through the gloom. Are you ready? Number one, if you're 0:10:59.650 --> 0:11:05.650 taking notes, write this down. Make some noise. Sometimes you 0:11:05.650 --> 0:11:08.530 just need to make a joyful noise. He starts out 0:11:08.530 --> 0:11:12.410 in Psalm 100, and we're not sure exactly who the 0:11:12.410 --> 0:11:15.330 author of Psalm 100 was. David wrote a lot of 0:11:15.330 --> 0:11:18.730 these psalms, but it doesn't articulate who the author was. 0:11:18.730 --> 0:11:21.130 It could have been another psalmist, but the first thing 0:11:21.130 --> 0:11:24.850 that he says is this. Make a joyful noise to 0:11:24.890 --> 0:11:28.850 the Lord, all the earth. I was thinking about that 0:11:28.850 --> 0:11:32.690 for a moment. Make a joyful noise. And I thought, 0:11:32.690 --> 0:11:36.569 you know, sometimes when we're happy, we want to make noise. 0:11:37.330 --> 0:11:40.650 When we're sad. How about it? You don't want to 0:11:40.650 --> 0:11:46.090 be around noise. Uh, sometimes when someone seems like something's 0:11:46.090 --> 0:11:49.490 bothering them, we say, hey, are you okay? And they say, yeah, 0:11:49.490 --> 0:11:53.290 I'm okay. Why do you ask? Well, you seem quiet when? 0:11:53.610 --> 0:11:58.050 When we're sad, we get quiet, we isolate. We don't 0:11:58.050 --> 0:12:00.300 want to be around noise because we feel like, no, 0:12:00.340 --> 0:12:03.100 I don't feel like noise. I'm not. I don't feel 0:12:03.100 --> 0:12:07.179 like being around a lot of people that are celebrating. 0:12:07.179 --> 0:12:11.140 I want to be quiet. But when you're celebrating, hey, 0:12:11.300 --> 0:12:14.180 how about it? If you're excited about something, you want 0:12:14.220 --> 0:12:17.100 to be around a bunch of other people that are celebrating, 0:12:17.100 --> 0:12:27.459 you want to be around some noise. When the Cubs won. Yeah, 0:12:27.500 --> 0:12:31.500 some of you wanted to be around some noise. And 0:12:31.500 --> 0:12:33.740 I know some of you were watching it on television, 0:12:33.740 --> 0:12:36.540 cranking it up, celebrating, but it wasn't enough. You got 0:12:36.540 --> 0:12:39.500 in your car and you drove all the way to Wrigleyville, 0:12:40.980 --> 0:12:43.700 to the crowd and the mess of Wrigleyville. I know 0:12:43.700 --> 0:12:46.459 a bunch of people did. My daughter did the dough 0:12:46.460 --> 0:12:48.900 to the crowd of why you want to be around 0:12:48.900 --> 0:12:52.540 some people that are celebrating, cheering, shouting. You want to 0:12:52.540 --> 0:12:56.459 be around some noise. When you're excited, you want some noise, 0:12:56.780 --> 0:13:01.460 you want some celebration because you feel it inside of you. 0:13:01.460 --> 0:13:04.460 And so screaming and yelling and celebrating. I want to 0:13:04.460 --> 0:13:07.060 tell you something about the people of God. I believe 0:13:07.059 --> 0:13:12.140 that joy is part of the attitude that should characterize 0:13:12.140 --> 0:13:14.220 us as people of the living God. 0:13:21.660 --> 0:13:24.220 You're listening to Mark Jobe here on Bold Steps, a 0:13:24.220 --> 0:13:27.860 message titled Breaking Through the Gloom. And before we continue 0:13:27.860 --> 0:13:29.620 this good lesson, we just want to say thank you 0:13:29.620 --> 0:13:32.620 to our bold partners, Mark. These are faithful listeners who 0:13:32.660 --> 0:13:34.900 donate every month and we so appreciate them. 0:13:34.900 --> 0:13:37.179 That's right. Hey, by the way, you help us break 0:13:37.179 --> 0:13:37.819 through the gloom. 0:13:37.860 --> 0:13:39.340 That's true. Yeah. That's right. 0:13:39.540 --> 0:13:43.340 As we read these comments and messages, as we just 0:13:43.340 --> 0:13:47.140 have a growing team of people that are supporting bold steps, 0:13:47.420 --> 0:13:49.740 it really is encouraging to us. So thank you. 0:13:49.780 --> 0:13:52.660 Yeah. Here's an example of what our bold partners accomplished 0:13:52.660 --> 0:13:55.660 through this program. Here's a listener in Lima, Ohio, Linda, 0:13:55.940 --> 0:13:58.580 who says doctor Mark Jobe is a wonderful encourager of 0:13:58.580 --> 0:14:01.750 God's Word weekday mornings from me. I'm grateful for his 0:14:01.750 --> 0:14:03.910 love of Jesus and the word that he shares through 0:14:03.950 --> 0:14:06.270 his messages that help me grow in my walk with 0:14:06.270 --> 0:14:09.790 the Lord. Keep on keeping on for the kingdom, Linda says. 0:14:10.190 --> 0:14:13.270 Hey Linda, thank you for your encouraging message. I'm glad 0:14:13.270 --> 0:14:17.030 that you're listening every day. Uh, we're hanging out every day. 0:14:17.230 --> 0:14:19.590 And Wayne, we have another person. This letter is from 0:14:19.590 --> 0:14:23.270 Brandon in Medina, Ohio, and he wrote and said, thanks 0:14:23.270 --> 0:14:26.510 for being a surrendered vessel, teaching the body of Christ 0:14:26.710 --> 0:14:30.510 and ministering to me on my way home from work 0:14:30.510 --> 0:14:34.630 for lunch. I pray your ministry continues to flourish and 0:14:34.630 --> 0:14:38.030 minister to the church body, new believers, and those. The 0:14:38.030 --> 0:14:40.830 Lord leads your way to receive the good news of 0:14:40.830 --> 0:14:44.150 the gospel. Brandon, thank you for your encouragement. I'm glad 0:14:44.150 --> 0:14:47.310 that we get to hang out before your lunch time. 0:14:47.310 --> 0:14:49.630 I eat lunch with a lot of people, Wayne. I'm 0:14:49.630 --> 0:14:51.710 trying to. I'm trying. I got to watch my weight 0:14:51.750 --> 0:14:54.990 because a lot of people eat lunch with me around 0:14:54.990 --> 0:14:57.230 the country, and I appreciate that. 0:14:57.710 --> 0:14:59.230 That's good to know. Well, those are just a couple 0:14:59.270 --> 0:15:02.040 of examples of how your partnership with us is making 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:04.200 a difference. So if you want to help us continue 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:06.640 bringing the gospel to new listeners in your own community 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:08.840 and across the world as well. Sign up today to 0:15:08.840 --> 0:15:11.320 become a gold partner. And when you choose to give 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:13.880 a gift of $30 or more each month, you'll be 0:15:13.880 --> 0:15:17.720 qualified for 50% off the retail price on all Moody 0:15:17.720 --> 0:15:23.200 Publishers resources in the online store at moody publishers.org. Resources 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:26.160 such as Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages, That Classic 0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:30.520 Book or Moody Bible Institute's Bible commentary, those resources and 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.440 more are 50% off. When you become a bold partner 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:37.480 at $30 a month or more. Sign up at bold steps.org. 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:40.840 All right, here's Mark job. Now continuing. Today's message is 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.880 titled Breaking Through the Gloom here on Bold Steps. 0:15:50.360 --> 0:15:53.000 Once in a while, I'll visit a church and go 0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:58.080 in there and I'll ask myself, did someone die? Because 0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:02.920 the attitude and there's like a funeral. You walk down 0:16:02.920 --> 0:16:07.800 the pews and look at people and they're like. Say, 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:11.160 did someone give us lemon juice at the front door? 0:16:13.080 --> 0:16:18.880 Why are we so somber and quiet and look almost 0:16:18.880 --> 0:16:23.480 mad in the house of God? In fact, I believe 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:27.400 that the Bible tells us that actually, as people of God, 0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:32.040 we're a joyful people. It tells us in Scripture that 0:16:32.040 --> 0:16:35.760 the kingdom of God. In Romans chapter 14, verse 17, 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:37.720 for the kingdom of God is not a matter of 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:42.000 eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in 0:16:42.000 --> 0:16:46.880 the Holy Spirit. Galatians chapter five, verse 22 for 23, 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:49.160 talks about the fruit of the spirit. What happens when 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:52.120 someone is full of God and it says, but the 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:58.560 fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:01.440 Against such things there is no law. The very second 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:05.560 thing it says is that our characteristics as people of 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:09.560 God is joy. That we are to be characterized as 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:14.639 people full of joy. What does that mean? Some people 0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:17.800 walk into this church and people are clapping and celebrating 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:22.040 and loud music and, and, and, and singing. And they say, well, pastor, 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:25.360 is that even allowed in a church? I mean, are 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:28.240 we supposed to do that? Can we laugh in church? 0:17:28.240 --> 0:17:31.560 Can we clap in church? Can we celebrate when people 0:17:31.560 --> 0:17:34.960 are getting baptized? I mean, is that even proper to do? 0:17:36.560 --> 0:17:39.199 The way I read my Bible is that we are 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:41.879 to make a joyful noise. We are to be a 0:17:41.880 --> 0:17:44.920 people that celebrates the goodness of God like no one 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:49.160 else on earth should be celebrating the fact that God 0:17:49.280 --> 0:17:55.160 is good. Now, I know I talked to some men 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:56.879 and they said, well, I'm just not that kind of guy. 0:17:56.920 --> 0:18:00.250 I just, you know, I'm just not emotional. They tell 0:18:00.290 --> 0:18:02.330 me that in church and I see them like this, 0:18:02.930 --> 0:18:04.610 and then I see them at the bears game and 0:18:04.609 --> 0:18:08.330 suddenly the non emotional guy there screaming, yelling, jumping, taking 0:18:08.330 --> 0:18:11.810 off their shirt, painting their face up and like, no, 0:18:11.810 --> 0:18:13.930 I don't think it's about that. I think it's about 0:18:13.930 --> 0:18:17.290 what really excites you. And I think that we as 0:18:17.290 --> 0:18:20.169 the people of God, are excited about the kingdom of 0:18:20.170 --> 0:18:22.690 God and the glory of God. And joy should be 0:18:22.730 --> 0:18:27.810 what characterizes us. Because part of being joyful means that 0:18:27.850 --> 0:18:33.450 you say, well, I'm just not. I'm a pessimist. Maybe 0:18:33.450 --> 0:18:37.610 you're an optimist or you say, I'm a realist. I 0:18:37.930 --> 0:18:41.689 view myself as a realist. Who knows who's on the 0:18:41.690 --> 0:18:44.730 throne in this world. And when I know that God 0:18:44.730 --> 0:18:47.169 is on the throne, it makes me an optimist because 0:18:47.170 --> 0:18:49.210 I know who holds my future. I know who's on 0:18:49.210 --> 0:18:52.330 the throne. And so although my realist, I know that 0:18:52.330 --> 0:18:55.650 God is on the throne, high and lifted up. So 0:18:55.690 --> 0:18:59.129 knowing that God is on the throne makes me an optimist. 0:18:59.900 --> 0:19:04.180 So the psalmist says, make a joyful noise to the Lord, 0:19:04.619 --> 0:19:08.100 all the earth. And then he says, serve the Lord 0:19:08.100 --> 0:19:12.260 with gladness. As we serve the Lord, there's a gladness, 0:19:12.300 --> 0:19:16.340 not a gloomy sadness in our service. I run into 0:19:16.340 --> 0:19:18.220 people that say, okay, I'm going to serve the Lord. 0:19:18.220 --> 0:19:21.460 It's my turn to serve the Lord. But they're not 0:19:21.460 --> 0:19:25.260 a glad servant. They're kind of a grumpy servant. Have 0:19:25.260 --> 0:19:28.379 you ever had a grumpy server at the restaurant that 0:19:28.380 --> 0:19:31.740 you go to eat at? And they say, kind of like, 0:19:31.740 --> 0:19:36.300 what do you want? Kind of throw the menu at 0:19:36.300 --> 0:19:41.060 you and just seem impatient and roll their eyes. You 0:19:41.060 --> 0:19:44.859 ever had that? It makes me not want to tip them. 0:19:46.780 --> 0:19:50.340 But the other hand, have you ever had someone that's happy? Hey, 0:19:50.340 --> 0:19:54.859 how are you doing this morning? Some about waitresses or servers. 0:19:54.859 --> 0:19:57.780 That seems like it gives them the permission to call 0:19:57.780 --> 0:20:00.740 you babe and honey. how are you doing, babe? How 0:20:00.820 --> 0:20:02.300 you doing, honey? It's like I don't even know you. 0:20:02.340 --> 0:20:04.620 You're calling me babe and honey. You know, I don't know. 0:20:04.619 --> 0:20:08.380 There must be this incognito sort of subculture world that says, 0:20:08.380 --> 0:20:10.980 if you're a waitress, you can call people honey and babes. I, 0:20:11.180 --> 0:20:12.899 I don't know what it is, but, you know. Hey, 0:20:12.900 --> 0:20:15.020 how you doing, babe? How you doing, honey? Yeah, happy. 0:20:15.020 --> 0:20:17.860 And when they're happy, it makes you feel like. Yeah, 0:20:18.100 --> 0:20:22.500 they're they're happy to serve. They like their job. They're 0:20:22.500 --> 0:20:25.340 energized by it. They come by and ask you, is 0:20:25.340 --> 0:20:27.940 everything okay? Can I serve you? And it makes me 0:20:27.940 --> 0:20:30.939 want to tip them a bigger tip because I feel like, hey, 0:20:30.980 --> 0:20:34.379 here's someone that's enjoying their job that's into what they're doing. 0:20:34.380 --> 0:20:37.220 Listen to me, people of God. I believe that as 0:20:37.220 --> 0:20:41.540 we serve God, people should be attracted to our joy 0:20:41.740 --> 0:20:45.220 because they see us following Christ, not with the sad, 0:20:45.420 --> 0:20:48.540 forlorn spirit. Kind of like, well, I just have to 0:20:48.580 --> 0:20:51.220 follow God. You know, it's just a tough thing. No, 0:20:51.220 --> 0:20:54.060 but we're excited about serving the King of Kings and 0:20:54.060 --> 0:20:56.220 the Lord of Lords. The one who has given us life, 0:20:56.260 --> 0:21:00.500 saved us, forgiven us, and given us a future. When 0:21:00.500 --> 0:21:05.220 I see someone with joy serving God with gladness, it 0:21:05.220 --> 0:21:08.620 makes me attracted to what they have. When I see 0:21:08.619 --> 0:21:14.140 someone grumpy, sad, discontent, unsatisfied, unhappy, it makes me say, hey, 0:21:14.140 --> 0:21:16.820 I don't want what they have because there's enough of 0:21:16.900 --> 0:21:21.300 that going around in the world. And he says, hey, 0:21:21.300 --> 0:21:24.060 make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Serve the Lord 0:21:24.060 --> 0:21:27.980 with gladness. And then it says, come into his presence 0:21:28.180 --> 0:21:34.179 with singing. Ephesians chapter five, verse 18 through 19 talks 0:21:34.180 --> 0:21:36.900 about being filled with the spirit. And when someone is 0:21:36.900 --> 0:21:39.540 filled with the spirit, in other words, filled with God, 0:21:39.940 --> 0:21:42.900 they speak to one another in psalms and hymns and 0:21:42.900 --> 0:21:46.780 spiritual songs. They sing and they make music in their 0:21:46.780 --> 0:21:50.060 heart to the Lord. When you are filled with God, 0:21:50.300 --> 0:21:56.139 you start singing. When people are full of joy on Fridays, 0:21:56.140 --> 0:21:59.990 people tend to hum a lot more. Ah, he said, 0:21:59.990 --> 0:22:04.070 why are you so happy about. It's Friday. Saturdays here. 0:22:04.070 --> 0:22:06.950 I don't have to go to work. There's something about 0:22:06.950 --> 0:22:09.510 when our heart is full of joy that we tend 0:22:09.510 --> 0:22:12.469 to sing. But I believe that there's something. There's something 0:22:12.470 --> 0:22:16.630 else going on here. Sometimes we need to sing in 0:22:16.630 --> 0:22:19.190 order to see our heart start to get full of joy. 0:22:20.470 --> 0:22:23.109 You see, it's easy to sing and hum. And when 0:22:23.109 --> 0:22:26.190 we're happy. But what about when we're not happy? And 0:22:26.190 --> 0:22:29.590 it's time to just to make a joyful noise. Sometimes 0:22:29.590 --> 0:22:31.669 when you're not happy, you need to start just making 0:22:31.670 --> 0:22:34.390 a joyful noise. I believe that's the power of worship. 0:22:40.310 --> 0:22:42.869 That's an important point that Mark will continue when we 0:22:42.869 --> 0:22:46.150 return for tomorrow's program. You're listening to Bold Steps and 0:22:46.150 --> 0:22:49.550 a message titled Breaking Through the Gloom with Mark Jobe. 0:22:50.070 --> 0:22:52.430 Today's lesson really dug into some of the more difficult 0:22:52.430 --> 0:22:55.310 realities we face in this life, while providing the biblical 0:22:55.310 --> 0:22:58.350 outlook and response that we need to have. And right now, 0:22:58.350 --> 0:23:01.390 here at Bold Steps, we're offering a special resource that 0:23:01.390 --> 0:23:04.950 takes the same hard hitting approach to the subject of culture. 0:23:05.510 --> 0:23:07.629 You know, Mark, it feels like our culture grows more 0:23:07.630 --> 0:23:10.909 hostile to the Christian faith with each passing day. A 0:23:10.950 --> 0:23:13.270 lot of believers are looking around and feeling like strangers 0:23:13.270 --> 0:23:16.470 in their own land, like they're living in exile. That's 0:23:16.510 --> 0:23:18.869 actually the picture behind this month's Bold Step gift, a 0:23:18.869 --> 0:23:20.670 book called The Church in Babylon. 0:23:20.710 --> 0:23:21.190 Yeah. 0:23:21.470 --> 0:23:26.350 So if you've felt like that, that, hey, your Christian values, 0:23:26.350 --> 0:23:31.950 your faith seems stranger and stranger in the culture that 0:23:31.950 --> 0:23:34.910 we live in, then you're not just imagining that. 0:23:35.030 --> 0:23:35.390 You're not. 0:23:35.390 --> 0:23:37.990 Alone. No. And by the way, the Bible talks about 0:23:37.990 --> 0:23:42.990 the end times getting worse and, uh, but Erwin Lutzer, 0:23:43.030 --> 0:23:47.030 our good friend Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church on 0:23:47.030 --> 0:23:50.470 Moody Radio, written several books. He's written a book called 0:23:50.470 --> 0:23:54.070 The Church in Babylon, heeding the call to be a. 0:23:54.070 --> 0:23:58.550 Light in darkness. And he, he takes the story of Daniel, 0:23:58.590 --> 0:24:02.560 who was thrust into a pagan culture surrounded by it, 0:24:02.920 --> 0:24:07.879 immersed in it. But yet Daniel did not lose his way. 0:24:08.000 --> 0:24:10.840 In fact, he ended up influencing that culture. 0:24:10.960 --> 0:24:11.639 He stood firm. 0:24:11.680 --> 0:24:15.000 Yeah, yeah. So this is really important. How to live 0:24:15.000 --> 0:24:19.280 faithfully as exiles in a culture that no longer shares 0:24:19.280 --> 0:24:22.600 our value. This will encourage you if you have felt 0:24:22.600 --> 0:24:25.520 a little bit overwhelmed by the culture around you. 0:24:25.680 --> 0:24:27.879 Now, to give and request your copy of The Church 0:24:27.880 --> 0:24:33.000 in Babylon, visit us online at bold steps.org/or call us 0:24:33.000 --> 0:24:39.879 at 800 D.L. Moody, that's (800) 356-6639. Or if you'd prefer, 0:24:39.880 --> 0:24:42.359 you can send your donation in the mail by writing 0:24:42.400 --> 0:24:47.280 to us at Bold Steps, 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 0:24:47.320 --> 0:24:51.119 60,006 ten. And before we close today, we want to 0:24:51.119 --> 0:24:52.960 remind you that if you ever miss one of these 0:24:52.960 --> 0:24:55.720 daily messages on the radio, you can catch up any 0:24:55.760 --> 0:24:59.520 time from anywhere by subscribing to the Bold Steps podcast 0:24:59.560 --> 0:25:02.719 on your phone or mobile device. Open up your favorite 0:25:02.720 --> 0:25:06.440 podcast app and search for bold steps with doctor Mark job. 0:25:06.720 --> 0:25:09.400 And don't forget to click the subscribe button and leave 0:25:09.400 --> 0:25:12.240 a five star review or comment to help other listeners 0:25:12.280 --> 0:25:15.280 learn more about the program. We also have two YouTube 0:25:15.280 --> 0:25:18.840 channels you'll want to explore. Our main channel, Bold Steps 0:25:18.840 --> 0:25:22.320 with Mark job, offers teaching clips, behind the scenes moments, 0:25:22.320 --> 0:25:25.720 and extended video content. And then, for those who like 0:25:25.720 --> 0:25:28.400 to watch full radio programs like this one, be sure 0:25:28.400 --> 0:25:32.600 to subscribe to the Bold Steps with Mark Job Programs. Well, 0:25:32.600 --> 0:25:34.520 I'm Wayne Shepherd, and as we end our program, I 0:25:34.520 --> 0:25:36.600 just wanted to remind you to join us tomorrow for 0:25:36.600 --> 0:25:40.200 the final half of this message titled Breaking Through the Gloom. 0:25:40.640 --> 0:25:44.240 It's coming up Tuesday on Bold Steps with Mark Joan. 0:25:45.400 --> 0:25:48.720 Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry 0:25:48.720 --> 0:25:50.480 of the Moody Bible Institute.