This month we started a new Sunday morning sermon series called Love Joy Peace. Maybe that sounds like a Julia Roberts movie to you. It sounds like something you need to go to India to find. You have to go do yoga in a rice field in Bali, and then you can find love, joy, and peace.

And honestly, that’s exactly where my family wanted to send me this week. Because the vog has been intense, and whenever it’s voggy I get grouchy. I don’t have love, joy, and peace, I wake up in a terrible mood and get annoyed at everything and everyone. If you were to ask me which one of my kids was my favorite, I’d say, “Whichever one is farthest away from me right now. Who’s not at home? That one’s my favorite.” Terrible! But that’s the way I’ve been feeling all week.

And then I started reading through Galatians. And I read Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Then I read Galatians 5:22, where it says what happens when Christ lives in me. It says I’m going to have love, joy, and peace. Patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. Gentleness and self-control. And as I read, I was looking for the little asterisk that says, “Except when there’s vog.” You’ll have love, joy, and peace except when it’s raining during rush-hour, and it’s carmageddon on the H1, and you’re late to an appointment. I was looking all over for that asterisk, and I couldn’t find it!

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If I have Jesus, then I have love, joy, and peace. Period.[/perfectpullquote]It says if I have Jesus, then I have love, joy, and peace. Period. So I had to ask myself, why isn’t that happening in my life right now? Why don’t I have those things right now? It must be because I’m not allowing Jesus to fully live in me. It must be because I’m somehow pushing Jesus away. There must be things in my life that are keeping me from enjoying life with Christ. Things I’m going to instead of Christ.

There are lots of things we turn to, but you can boil them all down to two categories. Most of us pursue one or the other. It’s either experiences, or endeavors. God isn’t enough for us, so we either want to experience more, or we want to endeavor and achieve more.

Jesus told a story about those two tendencies. We call it the story of the prodigal son, but it’s actually a story about two sons. It’s the story of two brothers. The younger brother didn’t want to be around his dad, so he went to his dad and he demanded his half of the inheritance in advance. He ran off to another country and spent all the money on sex, drugs, and rock and roll. On experiences. The older brother didn’t want to be around his dad either, so he went out to the field and he worked all day long. He was doing things for his dad, but it was only so he wouldn’t have to actually be with his dad.

The point of the story is that no matter which side we’re on, God isn’t enough for us. Some of us would rather pursue experiences, like the younger brother. And some of us would rather pursue endeavors, like the older brother. Even if we say we’re all about God!

Some of us want to go experience God out in the ocean. We want to experience God up on the top of Olomana. But we don’t really want to know God. We just want to have mystical experiences related to God. On the other hand, some of us want to go do things for God. We want to volunteer at the homeless shelter. We want to study theology and get a lot of Bible knowledge. But we don’t really want to know God. We don’t really want to be with God. We just want to stalk his Instagram posts and find out interesting facts about him.

The end of the story of the two brothers is interesting. The younger brother realizes he really does want to be with his dad, so he runs back home and begs his dad to take him back in. His dad is so happy to be with him that he throws an epic party. There’s even a fatted calf. He’s spared no expense. He invites his other son to come enjoy the party with them, but the older brother refuses to come inside. He doesn’t want to be with his dad, because he doesn’t really enjoy his dad.

We don’t want to see that happen! Life with God is an explosion of love, joy, and peace. It’s an epic party thrown by the Father, with banging music. Laser lights. Fog machines. Food and drinks that are on point. And best of all? We get to hang with Jesus in the VIP lounge.

The book of Galatians was written to invite us into that party. How many of us are still standing outside the door?