Be Of Good Cheer

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

TITLE - Be of Good Cheer

TEXT - Matt. 9: 1 - 22

In our text we find a statement mentioned twice. Here are two

of the five times Jesus mentions it. They are found in

Matt.9:2 and in Matt. 9:22 (in the Greek). The statement is

"BE OF GOOD CHEER"

God is saying," BE HAPPY!" It is in the imperative mood.

That means it is a command of God to be happy.

We ought to be happy anyway because of all that God has given

us. It is part of our heritage.

Why don’t God’s people have the joy of the Lord in their

lives? There are several reasons.

1st - Satan is against it.

2nd - Sin blocks the joy of the Lord - See Psa.51:12

JOY IS "J" for Jesus, "Y" for you, and "O" for Nothing

in between.

JOY and SIN cannot occupy the same heart.

3rd - A lack of faith hinders joy. - Heb.11:6

4th - Prayerlessness - James 4:4

Phil.4:4-7 ties joy to prayer.

Jesus tells us five times to "Be Happy". "BE OF GOOD CHEER"

LET US LOOK FOR A FEW MINUTES AT THESE FIVE TIMES THAT THE

LORD TELLS US TO "BE HAPPY".

I. BE OF GOOD CHEER - We have His pardon - Matt. 9:2

See Rom.5:11

II. BE OF GOOD CHEER - We have his power - Matt. 9:22

The Greek says, "Be of good cheer".

Power to witness - Acts 1:8

Power to Serve - I Tim. 1:12 and II Tim.4:17

Keeping power - I Peter 1:5

Power over weakness - II Cor.12:9

III. BE OF GOOD CHEER - We have his presence - Matt. 14:27

See Psa. 16:11

Matt. 28:19 - 20

Heb. 13:3

Ex. 33:14

IV. BE OF GOOD CHEER - We have His peace - John 16:33

See Rom. 5:1 - Peace with God

Phil. 4:7 - Peace of God

See Isa. 26:3

Gal.5:22 - a fruit of the Spirit

V. BE OF GOOD CHEER - We have His promise - Acts 23:11

See I Kgs. 8:56

There are two types of promises of God.

There are the conditional promises.

There are the unconditional promises.

We have many reasons to be happy -------

We have his pardon.

We have his power.

We have his presence.

We have his peace.

We have his promise.

There is one more "BE OF GOOD CHEER" in the New Testament.

It is given by man and not by the Lord.

The passage is found in Mark 10:48 ff.

Blind Bartimaeus calls on the Lord for mercy.

Jesus responds to his call for help.

The crowd said to Bartimaeus, "BE OF GOOD CHEER, rise, he

calleth thee".

Be happy - There is a message to give and a message to

receive.

Be Happy He is calling for you today.