Sunday Sermons
Rejoice Always
Rejoice Always
God frequently exhorts His people to rejoice and revel in their abundant blessings, present salvation, an intimate relationship with Him, clear hope of eternal glory, and knowing they are dearly loved both by other believers and by God Himself.
- “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
- “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 3:1).
- “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
- “Whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).
Joy Put On Hold?
Yet despite our Creator's words, we often postpone rejoicing, telling ourselves untruths such as: “I can’t relax or be happy until this is done”. “I will be happy when that is over….”“I will be happy when I am done with school, out of my parents home, married, have children, have enough money, have enough to retire and travel…” or “There will be no joy in my life until things calm down and I can finally relax”.
This kind of self-talk sadly robs of us true joy—the kind untouched by the circumstances around us, for the men who penned such encouraging admonitions to rejoice were often in very difficult circumstances. When Paul said, “Rejoice always” there were many challenges he was facing at the same time beyond anything we may experience in our lifetime (1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:1). When he wrote “rejoice in the Lord always” he was in prison (1:12)! The people that Peter was addressing about the joy that is full of glory were actually suffering some rather severe persecution (1:6). Even during times of loss or setbacks, there are blessings that ease the faith-filled heart.
Little Black Clouds
Storms will always exist in your life and my life. Paul told us that a little black cloud that was always with him was concern for the welfare and faithfulness of various churches (2 Corinthians 11:28). The Corinthians were a little black cloud and so were the Galatians (Galatians 3:1). There were people who were not growing spiritually, there were people who were discouraged because of their poor example to some believers, and there were brethren who fell away (2 Corinthians 11:29). Yet in all of this, we are told to fully rejoice in what God has so graciously given us.
Stop it. Just. Stop it.
If you have been playing the role of being a little black cloud in the lives of those who love you—would you do something for the better of all mankind? Stop. it. What the world needs now, is anything but yet another little black rain cloud. In fact, Jesus had called us to be just the opposite: salt and light. Jesus instructs us to bring spiritual truth and healing into people’s lives, rather than obscuring the light. “...open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:19). Has there ever been a more beautiful calling?
Can’t Touch This
Why revel in our relationship with God? We could go on forever, but for starters: Our greatest treasures no man or situation can touch or take from us. No matter what happens around me, no one can remove from me the forgiveness of my sins, the fact that I am a Christian, or the fact that God dearly loves me. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword?” (Romans 8:35). Jesus noted that certain people or just time itself can either steal or slowly corrode many of our material treasures (Matthew 6:19). Yet our real wealth, neither man nor time cannot touch. Paul had his reward with God and it was altogether safe (2 Timothy 4:8). Treasure only what is truly treasure.
It is Not Fair?
Sometimes when we see others rejoicing, rather than rejoicing with them, we might be tempted to resent their joy, saying such things to ourselves as, “They don’t deserve to be happy”. “I have been working harder than them—why are they the ones that life is presently rewarding”? Ignorant and ungodly attitudes are ugly, are they not? The truth of the matter is that none of us deserve the wonderful blessings in our life. Furthermore, when we are one with our brethren, their gain and the joy their victories bring, is to an extent, also our own, as we rejoice alongside one another. When an atheist experiences something good, this earth is as good as it will ever get for him or her. Sadly, it is the only "heaven" they will ever get. It is not so with those who love God.
I should always rejoice in the fact that: God has been merciful to me. That is, many of the things that I truly deserved for the sins that I committed did not arrive. I have been spared countless consequences. If God had not been merciful, my life would have turned out worlds differently. Along such lines I think of Abraham—who God mercifully delivered after Pharaoh had taken Sarah because of Abraham's lie. Or King David, who did not die after his adultery. Or the apostle Paul: He had persecuted Christians, been a blasphemer—yet God’s full justice had not landed upon him (1 Timothy 1:13-15). All of us in this room have a similar story. God’s full and deserved justice did not land upon us. Added to that, God has likewise given me and others countless blessings we did not deserve. So God has both protected us frequently from some serious consequences and has also given us all sorts of benefits we did not earn. “Bless the Lord all my soul, and forget none of His benefits….He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:1, 10). He is due your lifetime of praise.
Tempted to Envy?
So when we are upset, and want to tell God how to rule the world because we see someone apparently escaping the immediate consequences (Psalm 73; Proverbs 3:31;23:17) we need to humbly remind ourselves that we have often been that very person! So let’s rejoice in all the past grace and mercy. Let us be like Ezra saying, “And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt... You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this” (Ezra 9:13).
"Sit In the Pit With Me?"
The Bible does say, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). Yet I don’t think that the end of this verse ever meant that if we are discouraged, depressed or sad that we are to try to get everyone around us to sit in the pit of gloom with us, or that if we are not happy, it is wrong for others around us to be happy. “You can’t be happy until I am happy” is not the attitude God wants for us, rather the true idea of the verse is to be compassionate, to express genuine sympathy and to be an encouragement to those who are going through difficult things and in the process talk both about the pain as well as all the brighter blessings. The Bible calls Barnabas a “son of exhortation or encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Let's determine to also be sons and daughters of encouragement to the tired, battlewarn hearts around us.
The Continual Feast
“All the days of the afflicted are evil (bad), but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast’ (Proverbs 15:15). Seeing that many righteous people were afflicted and yet rejoiced, surely this verse is speaking more of a mindset than mere physical circumstances. Do I see myself as afflicted? As a victim? At the mercy of others and circumstances over which I have no control? Kind if resentful that I never really get to live the life I want? That I am always put upon by others? Or, do I clearly see myself as blessed? As one who has been the recipient of God’s amazing mercy every day of my life? As having a life—that is presently world's better than I deserve? That God has spared me from the truly horrible life my sins deserved?
- Next time you feel sorry for yourself open your Bible, glance at the church directory, think of all your friends and family, remember when and where you were born, walk through your house, take inventory of your life and start listing all the things in your life that God has given as gracious gifts.
Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net
