JOYCE: HOLINESS IS NOT
LEGALISM.
WHATEVER PEOPLE USED TO THINK
HOLINESS WAS, IT JUST BECAME
A MESS AND A NIGHTMARE,
AND REALLY TURNED A LOT
OF PEOPLE OFF BECAUSE HOLINESS
BECAME NOT SMOKING,
NOT DRINKING, NOT CUSSING,
NOT DANCING, NOT PLAYING CARDS,
NOT GOING TO PARTIES,
NOT WEARING PRETTY CLOTHES,
NOT WEARING ANY MAKEUP,
NO JEWELRY,
NOT HAVING A NICE HAIRSTYLE.
YOU HAD TO CUT OR NOT CUT
YOUR HAIR DEPENDING ON
WHICH BRAND OR RELIGION
YOU FOLLOWED, AND GOD FORBID
THAT YOU HAVE A TATTOO
OR, IF YOU’RE A MAN,
PUT AN EARRING IN YOUR EAR.
I MEAN, THAT WILL JUST PUT
THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
OVER THE EDGE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: COME ON, I’VE BEEN
THERE, DONE THAT.
“WELL, LOOK AT THOSE TATTOOS.”
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: “WELL, YOU SEE
THAT MAN WEARING THAT EARRING.”
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WELL–
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: NOW, YOU KNOW,
I REALLY DON’T HAVE TIME
TO DO THIS JUSTICE,
BUT–IN ISAIAH 44:5, IT SAYS,
“ONE WILL SAY,
‘I AM THE LORD’S,’
AND ANOTHER ONE WILL CALL
HIMSELF BY THE NAME OF JACOB
AND ANOTHER WILL WRITE
OR EVEN BRAND OR TATTOO
UPON HIS HAND,
‘I BELONG TO THE LORD.'”
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: “WELL, NOW,
THERE’S SOME SCRIPTURES
IN THERE SOMEWHERE THAT TELL YOU
NOT TO DO THAT.
YEAH, AND THIS IS WHERE IT’S AT.
LEVITICUS 20:28, MISQUOTED,
WHICH SAYS, “YOU SHALL NOT MAKE
ANY CUTTINGS IN YOUR FLESH
FOR THE DEAD, NOR PRINT
OR TATTOO ANY MARKS ON YOU
FOR THE DEAD.”
YOU KNOW, WE JUST PICK STUFF
OUT OF HERE AND LEAVE OUT
WHAT WE WANT TO, AND THE BIBLE
SAYS IN ISAIAH 49 THAT GOD HAS
A PICTURE OF YOU TATTOOED
ON THE PALM OF HIS HAND.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: I’M
RIGHT ON THE VERGE.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: OF GOING AND GETTING
A TATTOO.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: RIGHT BACK HERE.
“I BELONG TO THE LORD.”
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: YOU’LL GO WITH ME,
WON’T YOU?
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: I THOUGHT, “I MIGHT
AS WELL JUST PUSH
ALL THE RELIGIOUS PEOPLE
JUST RIGHT OFF THE CLIFF
AND GET IT OVER WITH.”
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: IT TOOK DAVE A LITTLE
WHILE TO GET USED TO THAT IDEA.
HE WAS LIKE, “I DON’T KNOW.
ISN’T THAT WRONG?” HE SAID.
“DOESN’T IT SAY IN THE BIBLE
NOT TO DO THAT?”
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WHY WOULD I DO THAT?
JUST TO MAKE RELIGIOUS DEMONS
MAD, NO OTHER REASON.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: ‘CAUSE I LIVED
IN SO MUCH BONDAGE
FROM LEGALISM.
AND EVERYTHING ABOUT LEGALISM
IS SOMETHING YOU CAN’T DO.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, IT
IS NOT BORING TO SERVE CHRIST.
IT IS SO MUCH FUN, AND THERE IS
SO MUCH YOU CAN DO.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, YOU CAN ENJOY
ALL OF IT!
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: HEY, CAN I TELL YOU
SOMETHING?
WE’RE HAVING MORE FUN IN HERE
TONIGHT THAN ANY ONE OF US
EVER HAD GETTING DRUNK
AND HAVING A HANGOVER.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: NOW, THIS IS
GOOD, CLEAN FUN.
AND I’VE MADE YOU LAUGH MORE
THAN ANY COMEDIAN YOU EVER WENT
TO SEE THAT TOLD DIRTY JOKES.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: OH, YOU OUGHT TO SEE
SOME OF THE STUFF IN HERE.
I MEAN–
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: IN EZEKIEL 16:9,
THERE WAS A BIG FEAST
AND A CELEBRATION AND GOD PUT
EARRINGS ON ALL OF ‘EM
AND NOSE RINGS…
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WELL, IF I GO AND SHOW
YOU, YOU’LL JUST BE HERE LATER,
SO I’LL JUST GIVE YOU
THE SCRIPTURE.
YOU CAN LOOK IT UP.
EZEKIEL 16:9 THROUGH 13.
THEN IN ANOTHER PLACE,
HE PUNISHED THE ISRAELITES
FOR WEARING EARRINGS
BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING IT
AT THE FEAST TO BAAL.
SO HERE’S THE BOTTOM LINE,
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOUR MOTIVE
AND WHY YOU’RE DOING THINGS.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: AND YOU SEE, WE CAN’T
LOOK AT THE OUTSIDE OF SOMEBODY
AND DECIDE FOR OURSELVES
THAT THEY’RE AN EVIL PERSON
BECAUSE WE DON’T–THEY
DON’T LOOK LIKE WE LOOK OR SAY
THINGS THE WAY WE SAY THEM
OR HAVE THEIR HAIR
THE COLOR WE HAVE OUR HAIR.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: THAT’S WHY SO MANY
PEOPLE TODAY DON’T WANT ANYTHING
TO DO WITH THE CHURCH,
‘CAUSE ALL THEY GET IS CRITICISM
AND JUDGEMENT.
WELL, YOU’RE NOT LIKE ME.
THANK GOD.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WE NEED
A LITTLE CHANGE.
WE NEED A LITTLE SHAKING UP,
AMEN?
I TOLD DAVE, I SAID, “WELL,
YOU KNOW, IF I DO DECIDE TO GET
A TATTOO, I’M GONNA GET IT BACK
HERE WHERE NOBODY CAN SEE IT.”
HE SAID,
“OH, YOU’LL SHOW EVERYBODY.”
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: AND I WILL.
I’LL BE UP HERE GOING,
“LOOK AT THAT.”
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: WELL, WE’LL HAVE
A NEW NEWS ARTICLE:
“MEYER GETS TATTOO.”
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: AND I GOT EARRINGS
AND PRETTY CLOTHES AND MAKEUP,
AND YOU OUGHT TO BE GLAD
I GOT IT!
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I MEAN,
WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD WE THINK
THAT GOD IS COLOR-LESS
AND BORING AND WANTS EVERYTHING
TO BE UGLY AND NO FUN
AND JUST GIVE YOU A BUNCH
OF RULES AND REGULATIONS.
LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING,
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD SITS
IN THE HEAVENS AND LAUGHS,
AND HE PUT A LAUGH
IN EVERY ONE OF US BECAUSE HE
EXPECTS US TO USE IT.
WE NEED TO LAUGH AND LAUGH
AND LAUGH AND LAUGH AND LAUGH
AND LAUGH AND LAUGH.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: AND LAUGH AND LAUGH
AND LAUGH AND LAUGH.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: SO WE NEED TO PURSUE
HOLINESS.
WE NEED TO ADD WORKS
TO OUR FAITH.
WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT WE’RE
THE BILLBOARD FOR GOD.
PEOPLE WANT TO SEE YOU HAPPY.
PEOPLE ARE DESPERATE TO BE
HAPPY.
THEY DON’T NEED A BUNCH
OF PEOPLE CALLING THEMSELVES
CHRISTIANS THAT LOOK LIKE
THEY’VE BEEN BAPTIZED
IN PRUNE JUICE.
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: I READ A LITTLE STORY
RECENTLY, AND I’LL TELL YOU THIS
AND END WITH THIS.
A LITTLE GIRL WENT TO VISIT
HER GRANDFATHER, WHO HAPPENED
TO BE A VERY RELIGIOUS MAN,
AND HE OWNED A FARM,
AND SHE BEGAN TO WALK AROUND
THE FARM AND SEE
THE DIFFERENT ANIMALS,
AND SHE WENT TO THE CHICKEN YARD
AND SAW THE CHICKENS
JUST KICKING UP ALL THE DUST
AND, YOU KNOW, FLYING AROUND,
AND SHE SAID, “WELL,
THE CHICKEN AIN’T GOT IT.”
AND HE THOUGHT,
“AIN’T GOT WHAT?”
SO THEN SHE SAW A HORSE
OUT IN THE FIELD AND HE WAS
RUNNING AND SEEMED TO BE DOING
GOOD, AND SHE SAID, “WELL,
GRANDPA, HE AIN’T GOT IT.”
SAW THE COW AND HE WAS EATING
GRASS–“WELL, HE AIN’T GOT IT.”
AND THEN SHE WENT IN THE BARN
AND SAW THIS LONG-FACED,
LONG-EARED, DROOPY-EARED DONKEY.
AND SHE SAID, “HE’S GOT IT!
HE’S GOT IT!”
AND HER GRANDPA SAID,
“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?”
SHE SAID,
“GRANDPA, HE’S GOT RELIGION.
HE LOOKS LIKE YOU!”
[AUDIENCE LAUGHING]
JOYCE: COME ON,
LET’S ALL GET UP.
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
JOYCE: OH, DON’T YOU
JUST FEEL LIKE A FRESH BREEZE
JUST BLEW THROUGH.
AMEN.
AMEN, AMEN, AMEN, AMEN, AMEN.
ALL RIGHT, I LOVE YOU GUYS.
I PRAY FOR YOU THAT YOU WILL
GROW AND GROW AND GROW
AND PURSUE HOLINESS.