The following message is by pastor John Piper.

More information from Desiring God is available at

W.W.

D. Desiring God.

O.G.

Point number seven about how then shall we fight for joy.

So I'm assuming that at this stage there's a lot of okay I see all those texts I see

that Christian hedonism that is God is most glorified in us when we're most satisfied in him and that the Bible

calls us to be satisfied in him and all those reasons you gave but my heart

doesn't seem very engaged.

And I grew up in a church where they didn't talk much about that.

And so that's why we're doing what we're doing here. These are practical how questions and I've got

14 or 15 answers and I'm going to blaze through I hope to get through as many as I can.

First realize that authentic joy in God is a gift.

Yes, it's commanded and it's a gift.

Remember St. Augustine?

He got converted when he was 32.

He lived with a mistress for 16 years and was sexually in bondage, as he said. He had one child out of wedlock. When he was

saved, he never married again. Never married. And became Bishop of Hippo, fourth century.

And God gave him a victory over his sexual bondage and he said,

you command continents oh lord

command what you will and grant what you command

...