Joyful Christians — Sandeep Poonen

The subject for today is the joyful Christian. Interesting topic when you're leaving a conference. I'm sure it's sad in many ways because it's been a good time together with friends and all of that. But it's appropriate because we so easily connect joy with feelings.

And we so connect joy with circumstances. And right off at the very beginning, I want to make a disconnect between joy and my circumstances. And to make a spiritual break between joy and feelings. There's an expression that Paul uses a few times.

It's called, he says, rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice always. I don't know if you know which is the first book in the New Testament that was written. Not the first book in the New Testament, but the first book of the New Testament that was written.

Rejoicing Regardless of Circumstances

Historians say it's one Thessalonians. And one Thessalonians 5, Paul says rejoice always. One Thessalonians 5, verse 16. So the very first book of the written scripture of the New Testament, God's trying to tell his people rejoice always.

Many years later, over a decade later from what history tells us, Paul wrote another book, Philippians. This time Paul's in jail. Paul's in not a very nice jail in Rome, or somewhere by the Romans. But he repeats the same thing a couple of times in that book, Philippians.

Rejoice always. He was not treated kindly. But he was very clear. Whether in good circumstances or bad circumstances. Whether I'm free preaching the gospel or if I'm in prison. The message is the same.

Rejoice in the Lord. So joy is something that has got nothing to do with circumstances or my feelings. See this is something that's probably going to take a long time for us. It's an addiction that we have to get over.

We have an addiction of reading the Bible and connecting the English word to the Bible word. So we use the word believe and we think do you believe this? It's like do you have an intellectual agreement with it?

That's got nothing to do with the Bible definition of believe. Of course you should agree with your mind. But believe is something you have to do in your heart. We have to make that distinction. I think some of you or many of you know that.

That belief is not an intellectual agreement. Another word is humility. Very different from what the English dictionary says to what the real Bible definition is. Same thing with joy. I guarantee you it's like me.

You connect joy with a feeling. And it's okay to use it in a human setting when you're talking to people and using the language. But when I'm reading the Bible and saying I must have joy. And when the Bible commands me to rejoice always.

I must disconnect it from a feeling. Otherwise I'll get discouraged. Or I'll find the Bible command to not work. Feelings may come afterwards. Feelings may not come at all. Feelings may come right away.

But I must disconnect joy from being dependent on the feeling. And we have to disconnect joy from my circumstances. I want to share with you the story where we can study a few things about how we get joy.

The Wedding at Cana and the Loss of Joy

And it's the story of the very first miracle of Jesus. If you were to pick the very first miracle of Jesus. If God was to ask your opinion. Hey my son is coming to this earth. What's your advice? How do we make the biggest splash?

Some of you are creating YouTube channels or whatever it may be. Social media things. I'm sure you're discussing how do we make the biggest splash? How do we get the biggest views? How do we get the most views, the most likes?

We got to be the most provocative. How about raising somebody from the dead? How about feeding the 5 ,000? Walking on water. Catching a boatload of fish. Great ideas. You know what was the first miracle of Jesus?

Turning water into wine at a wedding. Turning wine into a wedding. There are so many things wrong with that idea, you'd think. But God's ways are not our ways. It's maybe not something with a lot of impact.

But I say that because I want to say God had a purpose with it and that's why He chose a wedding. God had a reason why He chose to turn water into wine. It was intentional. So we're going to study a few points here that connect to joy.

I'm sure you all know the story. Jesus and His mother and His disciples are at a wedding and the wine catches fire. And as we know, they serve the good wine first. And then they serve the old wine or the bad wine and then even that ran out.

That's the problem. So the setting is a beautiful setting, it's a wedding. Should have been a time of great joy. It was a time of great joy. Until the wine ran out. That can be a picture of our Christian life.

We were born again. We were walking with the Lord. We had a good life with the Lord. Then things happened. We stopped being consistent. Church became a little bit more boring. The Christian life became a little bit more of a drag.

Old wine. New wine becomes old wine. Then the wine runs out. No joy in the Christian life anymore. What's the first thing that we have to do? It's what Mary did. She came to Jesus. The very first thing we got to do.

Maybe the first thing we have to do is we have to be honest. Before you even come to Jesus, you have to be honest. I don't have what I had. I used to have something. I used to have a relationship with the Lord.

I used to have a connection with the Lord. Or other people have talked about wine, I've never had wine. I'm talking about in my relationship with Jesus, how wine is enjoyed. Other people talk about it, I've never had that enjoyment.

Step number one, be honest. You have to admit it. Step number two, we've got to come to Jesus. You know what Jesus says? You want some new wine? Hang on. Who says that? My time hasn't come. What? Come on, just give me the wine, I've come to you, you've got to give me the wine.

I want a different kind of church, just give me a different church. I'm not happy with the way things are going, just change the circumstances. My time hasn't come. What are you going to do? You do what Mary did.

Mary shows her saintliness here. I'm not worshipping Mary. She was a saint. She was an absolute holy woman of God. Look what happens when God says, hold on. Not my time. You know what Mary says? She tells the servants.

Obedience to Jesus While Waiting for His Time

In John 2, verse 5. Whatever He says, you go do it. You know what that's a picture of? It's me, my spirit telling my mind. My spirit telling my feelings. Whatever Jesus tells you to do. You be ready. Whenever He's ready.

No complaining. No pouting. When He tells you to do something, you do it. Until then you wait. Like servants waiting to be called on. Like waiters waiting in a restaurant. I'm ready. I'm waiting. Some of us lose our way here.

Because we get upset at Jesus. We get offended at Jesus saying, it's not my time. We want instant miracles. So when we come to Jesus and say, Lord, I've been coming for two weeks to church, it's not working out.

I'm reading the Bible, I'm not getting out of it. It's not worth it, let's just set it aside. Whatever He says, you do it. Whatever He says, you do it. And we have to wait for the Lord's time. Because the Lord is saying, I wonder if He'll go to something else to numb this pain.

Does He really know that I'm the only one who can solve this problem? I'd like to give Him some patience. How can I give Him patience if He always gets whatever He wants the moment He asks me? Will you wait for the Lord?

When your circumstances, even though these are holy desires of yours. The old wine has run out. You're looking for a new joy. Will you wait? The attitude of a worshipper. That is the attitude of a worshipper.

Who do I have in heaven besides You? There is no one on earth who can help me with my problems besides You. There is no one who can give me joy and new wine like You. The world cannot give me that. The pleasures of the world cannot give me that.

But I'm waiting. Then Jesus says, Not yet the joy, I'm going to give you one more thing to do. He told the servants to fill the water pots with water. In verse 6 it tells me how much water that had to be filled.

There were 6 water pots with 20 to 30 gallons each. Do we need to convert that to liters? 500? 500 liters. And there were no big holes to just turn on the tap and... 500 liters. Fill it up. And it says in verse 7, they filled it up to the brim.

What do you think, that it took 2 minutes? To carry that water back and forth? 500 liters in total. Do you want wine? But why are we filling the water pots with water? But whatever He says, do it. We want an answer to prayer.

And what Jesus asks of us doesn't seem to have anything to do with that. But whatever He says, do it. And I'll tell you what He says to do. Give in to your feelings. Again and again and again and again.

And I'm not saying it's easy. I'm actually a rather feelings guy. I feel quite a bit. And so I've had to die to my feelings quite a bit. I've enjoyed my feelings. I love music, I love art. All kinds of emotions, all kinds of feelings.

But I've got to die to the feelings compared to the truth of God's Word. Over and over and over again. With no joy in sight. Filling water pots with water. No wine in sight. No joy in sight. Jesus tells me to die to myself.

Entering the Presence of God Through the Veil

There's a verse about joy that is in Psalm 16, verse 11. Some of you may know it. We may quote it flippantly. We may quote it just casually. But it's a very deep verse. Psalm 16, verse 11. In your presence is fullness of joy.

In your presence is fullness of joy. But I want to ask you a question. This is a psalm by David. Where was God's presence in David's time? Do you know where it was? In the most holy place. Did you know that?

That's where the cloud was. That's where God's presence was. And David could never get there. He was not a high priest. And only once a year, in the Old Testament, the high priest was allowed to go there.

In your presence is overflow of joy. In the tabernacle there were three parts. You saw a picture of that, I believe, yesterday. The outer court. And then there was a tent part. And there were two parts in the tent.

A holy place and the most holy place. And separating the holy place from the most holy place was what's called a veil, a curtain. And all of the Israelites could be in the outer court. You could offer the bull of sacrifices.

You had the lava for washing, which is a picture of baptism. Only the Levites could go into the holy place, that covered part. That's where you had the altar of incense. The bread, which is a picture of God's Word.

And the lamb stand. Denoting the people of Israel. All the Levites could be there. There was a curtain. And the most holy place where the ark was. Even the priests couldn't go there. Cheap priests went there once a year.

The reason that I'm explaining this is God's presence wasn't in the outer court. God's presence wasn't in the holy place. Not in the baptism, not in the repentance. Not in the reading of God's Word. Not in the incense, which is a prayer.

Not in the lamb stand, which is a picture of your church life. God's presence is in the most holy place. In your presence is fullness of joy. So what is it for us in the New Testament? We have to go past our Bible studies.

We have to go past our prayer life. We have to go past all our church activities. We are all priests now, that's what we do. But that's still the holy place. God's presence is in the most holy place. Well how do I get in the most holy place?

There's a curtain stopping that. How do I get through that curtain? Jesus showed me the way to get through that curtain. He tore that veil. And in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 20 He tells me that that veil is my will, it's my flesh, that will.

I don't get automatic access to the most holy place to get into the Father's lap. It's through Jesus. And it's through that rent veil. Saying no to what I want to do. That's what we do when we're first born again.

We say no to what we want to do and we say God says come right in. It's not difficult. The prodigal son says come in. It's not difficult. Even the prodigal son did that. He didn't clean himself first.

He just said I want to be with you. I don't want to do whatever I'm doing. And then the Father comes rushing out to meet him. And to take him into the most holy place. So it's not difficult. But it's an important step we have to do to get this fullness of joy we have to not do our own will.

Which means we cannot live by how we feel. We cannot live by how we feel. We live by faith, not by our senses. For most young people this is probably the only thing you probably need to hold on to for the next decade.

Don't live by your feelings. Live by what God's Word says. Become strong in God's Word. I'm serious. Young people. Especially. Your feelings are raging. It comes a little bit less when you get older. It's a good thing to have a strong heart.

And it's good to have those feelings. You can use that energy for the Lord. But don't live by your feelings. Man shall not live by the feeling of food and whether you're hungry or not. You haven't eaten for 40 days.

Live by your feelings. No, man shall live by the Word of God. This is what God was telling us in that temptation. He was 30 years old. Still a young man. And he's saying, I will not live by my feelings.

Tear that will that says you don't feel right. You don't feel like doing the right thing. Tear that will. In his presence is fullness of joy. Fill the water pots with water. 500 liters. It's not easy.

Nobody said that crucifying your flesh is easy. It's crucifixion. Fix your eyes on Jesus. The author and finisher of your faith. Who for the joy set before Him. What did He do? Endured the crucifixion.

Didn't enjoy the crucifixion. Endured the crucifixion. This is your Bible, Hebrews chapter 12. Fix your eyes. How did Jesus get joy? The joy was set before Him on the other side of that veil. He endured the cross of dying to His feeling.

Persevering in the Fight Against the Flesh

And it will never end. It's not that after 15 years you get really good at it. Jesus, after 33 and a half years of living the perfect life. Never once giving in to His own will. Jesus, after 33 and a half years of living the perfect life.

In the garden of Gethsemane. Saying, Father, please take this cup away from me. I don't want to do what you're asking me to do. But, He didn't finish the day. He said, not what I want to do, but what you want to do.

But He showed me there that there was still the struggle. After 33 and a half years. Of doing it perfectly. Of constantly saying no. There was still a struggle. That taught me an incredibly important lesson.

That there's going to be a fight for the rest of my life. No easy button. I remember with some of these things it takes such a long time. I remember, for example, with the sin of the love of money. Lord, I don't want to be affected by the love of money.

I remember the Lord saying to me. Okay. You fight radically the love of money for the next 30 years. And it will lessen in its immensity. I remember the Lord saying to me. It will lessen in its strength.

30 years. What do you think? Do you want to do that? Do we want to please God? Next 30 years, fight like blood comes out. Do you want to be done with the love of money? Are we willing to sign up for 30 years of a fight?

30 hours is a long fight. But what about your feelings? What if the Lord tells you that? You spend the next 15 years fighting on your feelings. Keeping them in check. That race horse of your feelings.

It will get easier. 15 years. Do you want to sign up? 500 liters of water. I have to tell you, it's not easy. Narrow is the way that leads to life. But on the other side is joy. And this is the way Jesus went.

We have to sit down and count our blessings. We have to sit down and count the costs. Don't just stand and sign a decision paper in the church. No, sit down. Maybe it will take you 10 or 15 years, brothers and sisters.

To get rid of that addiction to your own feelings, your own emotions. To get rid of it. And I have spent a lot of time with addicts. And I have been told that as long as someone has struggled with a certain addiction, it will take a long time to get rid of it.

Okay, how long have you been addicted to your feelings? God will help you. But are you willing to take that time? I will tell you who has taken that time. Some addicts. I have met some of these addicts.

Addicted to alcohol. Or cocaine. And other drugs. And they have squandered everything. For years addicted to them. But they have built their life back up. It took them years. It took them many years. But they didn't expect instant miracles.

And they were thankful that they were alive. And they did it one day at a time. And they prayed, Lord give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. And the courage to change the things I can change.

And the wisdom to know the difference. And they did it one day at a time. Saying no to alcohol one day, two days, three days, one week, two weeks. You ask them, they will say it was long. Sometimes it was really hard.

But they have done it. And I used to go sit in those meetings. I was never addicted to alcohol. But I went to those meetings in my late twenties for a reason. Because I asked myself. How is it possible that they can get over alcohol without Jesus?

And I with Jesus can't get over my feelings. What am I missing here? Do we even need Jesus? These folks without Jesus are able to get over alcohol and heroin. And we can't get over our addictions to our feelings and other things that hold us down.

And with our eyes and lust. And body image. It changed. What helped me change was to realize I'm an addict too. And I'm not going to blame Jesus. He's not doing his part. I've not filled 500 liters of wine.

I've not filled 500 liters of water. The alcoholics are doing that. They're trying to get free of it. So they're seeing the difference. You've got to work hard. Day after day. I learned that from the addicts.

And God didn't say it was going to be easy. Dear brothers and sisters. I'm speaking from experience. John chapter 2 has changed my life. Because when you count the cost of 500 liters of water the servants didn't know when the wine was going to happen.

And we don't know how these things are going to change. But we have to decide that we're not going to live by our feelings. We're not going to decide what's going to happen. We're not going to decide whether God loves us by our circumstances.

A child can get sick. A child can get better. A father can get cancer. A father doesn't get cancer. Lose eyesight. Keep my eyesight. Get the house. Lose the house. My view of God is not going to change.

But my view of God is not going to change. It's not based on circumstances. It's not based on emotions or feelings. We have to set our hearts to be fixed to that. Young people, take my word for it. Your life will be shaky.

It was for me. Because constantly joked around by feelings. So easily moved by circumstances. It is not like that anymore in my life. Because I made a decision years ago what I'm telling you here today.

And I know no other way and it's no other way given in scripture. And the charismatic movement says you need deliverance. You got to deliver. You got to deliver. You got some demons affecting you or afflicting you.

Crucifying the Flesh Rather Than Seeking Instant Deliverance

You don't need deliverance. You need crucifixion. And nobody is going to crucify you. Christ is not going to crucify you. You have to go pick up your cross and put your flesh to death. Over and over again.

For a decade. Ten, three decades. Five decades. For the rest of our lives. It's a marathon. Nobody is dropping out of the race, are we? You need some fuel stations? Oh yes, we do. That's why I started with it.

We need some fuel stations. Go back to the cross. Go back to the Father's love. Fill up. Because you're going to fill up water pots with water for a long time. Go through the veil. Go through your will over and over again.

Have I spent enough time on this? Should I move on? It's a long time. Then Jesus says take some water and serve it. Actually, He doesn't say take some water. He says draw it out now. The crazy thing about this is I don't know when the water will turn into wine.

We don't know when we'll get the new wine. But one thing is sure. Jesus will turn water into wine. When it is His time. We fill the water pots with water. He'll produce new wine. He always does. Those who do it His way.

Jesus proved it. He sat down at the Father. He enjoyed new wine all the time. Seated in the heavenlies with His Father. And I'm not saying that the whole time that I was filling up water with wine it was just a boring, horrible life.

But I didn't depend on my feelings or my circumstances. And I got lots of fuel from the gas station off the Father's lap and the cross in which Jesus died for me. But this is where water got turned into wine.

The Holy Spirit Gives Joy After Obedience

This, dear brothers and sisters, after we... Please listen to me. After we have filled the water pots with water 500 liters that's when we need the Holy Spirit. After we have crucified our flesh over and over again and we've done our part after you have done all that God has commanded you to do you go to God and say, I'm an unworthy slave.

All I got is water. All I got is obedience. I don't have wine. I don't have the joy of the Holy Spirit. I don't have the love. I don't have the peace. I've done a lot of obedience. Romans chapter 14, verse 17 says, it says what the kingdom of God is.

Romans chapter 14, verse 17 the kingdom of God is not eating or drinking but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Remember my wife saying many of us have righteousness, joy and peace in our comforts through our circumstances you've got to take a vacation to find the joy you get the bonus and you get the joy so the kingdom of God for us becomes righteousness, joy and peace in our circumstances and our comforts but this is what the Bible says righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit it's in His presence but that comes after I fill the water pots with water that's when I say Lord, I've done so much still not happy.

I'm not happy. That is the real role of the Holy Spirit. It's for those who want Him but are willing to pay the price and are doing it in their daily life. John chapter 7, verse 37 Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit.

And this is at the end of a feast. This is the feast the feast of boots the feast of tabernacles. This was a week long celebration. All the Jews got together in tents and then just ate and drank and had a good time for a whole week.

And then on the last day John 7, verse 37 on the last day after a party filled week Jesus says who's still hungry? Who's still thirsty? Who still wants more? Who's not satisfied after doing everything all the obedience year after year.

Are you still thirsty? After obeying God week after week month after month year after year. Lord, I'm not happy. I'm still not satisfied. I've not gotten what you're supposed to be giving me. I'm not satisfied week after week day after day month after month year after year obediently are you still saying Lord, I'm not satisfied with what I've got.

Jesus says come to me and I'll give you rivers of living water. Rivers of living water will flow out of your insides. And John says he wrote this he spoke this about the Holy Spirit because you couldn't receive it without him.

Those who are thirsty after a week long conference. Those who are thirsty after a week long conference. Those who are thirsty for the divine life after years of obedience. Those who are thirsty after a divine life after years of obedience.

Dear brothers and sisters the ministry of the Holy Spirit is so sacred and mysterious. Dear brothers and sisters the ministry of the Holy Spirit is so sacred and mysterious. God gives you the Holy Spirit so easily God gives you the Holy Spirit.

As often as I will give my children carrots, if my children ask me for carrots. That's how easy it is for the Father to give me the Holy Spirit. That's what Luke 11, verse 13 says. If your child asks you for bread, will you give him a stone?

If you ask me for the Holy Spirit, and you're hungry, I'm going to give you the Holy Spirit. If you ask me for the Holy Spirit, and you're hungry, I'm going to give you the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit comes to help.

To help hold the nail, as you crucify your flesh. He's not going to crucify our flesh. He'll help hold the nail. You hold the hammer, you hit him. And he groans. And he comforts. And he helps. And he's there the whole time.

But there's a special ministry of the Holy Spirit. The water turning into wine Holy Spirit. After he's held the nails, where he says there's a fullness of joy. And that only happens if we go to him after the water pots are filled with water.

It's only for those who are willing to be obedient. Relentlessly obedient. The Holy Spirit will help you to be relentlessly obedient. But then the Holy Spirit will take over to take that water and make it into wine.

There's nothing we can do about it. But we have to come to him. Say, Lord, I'm not satisfied with perfect obedience. I'm not satisfied with water pots filled to the brim. Because I look into the water pot and it's just water.

And I look into my life and I just see human obedience. But I want divine joy. I want the light that is the light of man. The life that is the light of man. That lights up my life. The kingdom of God which is righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.

I don't have it after all my obedience. I must seek him for the Holy Spirit. I'll show you another reason why you know you'll need the Holy Spirit. Why you need joy. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 9. Hebrews chapter 1 verse 9.

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore the Lord has anointed you with the oil of joy. I'll tell you something. I stay away from lawlessness. I like righteousness. But this is different.

He's saying you have to hate it. Hate it. That's a different level. You have to absolutely love God's ways. You have to absolutely hate the way of sin. I need the Holy Spirit for that. I dislike it. I don't enjoy it.

What about hatred? I want your joy. I need your Holy Spirit. To take all of my obedience and my dislike for sin. Into a hatred for sin. This is why we need the Holy Spirit. You ask yourself brother and sister.

Do you hate sin? Or do you dislike it? I know you don't want to sin. Is there a hatred? When we see sin. Some sins we hate. But some sins are still too cozy in our lives. And we're fighting it. That's all we can do.

God says I want to give you a hatred for that sin. Give it to Jesus. How can I get it? The Holy Spirit. Because it's the Holy Spirit. So I'm not interested in going to these meetings where the Holy Spirit pushes me down.

I shouldn't even have said that. I don't even think it's the Holy Spirit pushing them down. I don't know what's pushing them down. But I don't want any of that. Because I don't see those people getting back up and hating sin.

But that's what I want. If the Holy Spirit will do that, I'll fall down 25 times. I'll hang upside down. I want to hate sin though. I don't see these people doing any of these things. Talking in unknown tongues, dancing up and down, waving the flags.

I don't see them hating sin anymore. I see greater greed. They're going in the opposite direction. So no, I'd like to keep standing. Thank you very much. But I want to hate sin. So what's the path? It's not a feeling.

It's not the laying of the hands. It's not babbling something gibberish. It's filling up the water pot. And going to Jesus and saying, I need something more. I need wine. It's the very first miracle you did.

And you showed your glory there. Man cannot manufacture this. I can do obedience. I can restrain my feelings. That doesn't make me special. There are Hindus who do that. There are Muslim holy men who do that.

Go living in the forest for the rest of their lives. But beyond that, Lord, I need something else. The life of Christ. That hates sin. I'm not going to give up. That's why we need the Holy Spirit after all our obedience.

Joy Grounded in Salvation Rather Than Spiritual Experiences

One last thing, Luke 10. I mentioned this earlier, but it's worth repeating again. Jesus said, don't pin your joy on casting out demons. Luke 10, verse 20. He said, pin your joy in the fact that your name is recorded in heaven.

What does that mean? That your name is recorded in heaven. That Jesus took a wreath and made him a saint. Jesus took a wreath and said, come sit on my lap. It's the very first of the story. It's what you're trying to tell your children, those of you who are married.

It's what you're trying to tell your children, those of you who are married and have children. You want to explain to them, do you know what the gospel is? That Jesus can take all your sins away and make you sit on his lap.

They may not understand all the details like you do. But Jesus said, that's where your joy has to be. I want to share with you the story that I read. It's one of the oldest sermon illustrations used in the Christian church.

So it's centuries old. But it's a good test of what our understanding of Christianity is. So pay attention to the story. There was a man who was very deformed in his body. And his face was distorted. Nobody ever invited him to a party.

Nobody showed him love or attention. So he decided that this life was not worth living. He decided he was going to climb up a mountain and throw himself into the big cliff. So he would climb up a high mountain and fall off the cliff.

As he's walking up the mountain, he meets a girl on the way. And she's a very beautiful girl. But she's walking up the mountain with the same purpose. She was suffering for very different reasons. She had everybody's attention and love.

But the one whom she wanted to marry, decided to love another girl. Because that other girl was rich. So she too felt life had no meaning. She said, I'm walking up the mountain to jump off the cliff too.

So they're both walking up the mountain together. As they're climbing up the mountain, they meet a police officer. And this police officer is saying he's looking for a very dangerous robber. And he had robbed and murdered many people.

And there was a huge reward for catching this person. And the policeman was very confident that he would be able to catch this robber. Because this robber had a very unique physical mark. He had six fingers on his hand.

So it was going to be very easy to spot him. The police had been looking for him for lots of years and hadn't found him. And for the last two to three years, they had not heard about him at all. No murders, no nothing.

There was nothing left of his reputation. No murders, no crime. But the police officer was still looking very seriously for him, so that he would pay the penalty for his sins. Eventually they arrive at the top of the mountain and there is a monastery.

And there's a monastery there and they knew that that monastery was run by an abbot, by a priest. Who built that monastery to try and save people who were going to jump off. And this monk was not there for many, this priest wasn't there for many years, just a couple of years.

And those three people said, okay, let's just say hello to that priest. They knew him and he was a holy man. And so they stand outside that monastery and they read all the names of people who were saved by that priest.

And as they're looking at all the names, the monk comes to meet them. And you could see the glory of God on his face. The beautiful girl bows to kiss his hand. And sees that his hand has six fingers. And that's where the story ends.

And we don't like that ending. Because we want to know what happened. What happened to the deformed man? Did he jump? What happened to the girl? Did she jump? Wait, the monk is the criminal? Did the policeman arrest the monk?

After seeing the glory of God on his face? That's our human nature. We missed the beauty of the story. The murderer became a saint. That's the story. The murderer became a saint. No matter what happens after this.