And You Call Yourself A Christian, Really?
Psalm 150 - Philippians 4:4
By
Pastor A. J. Watkins D.Min.
King James Version Utilized
Ryrie, Henry, and Clarke Study Aides
Simonton Genesis Ministries © June 2009
Today’s society is in a major turmoil. We have people still hating people so much that they are running into a historical museum and shooting people because of their ethnicity. We have an economy that has been abused and now it is returning the favor. We have lost our jobs, possessions, and relationships due to this bad economy. Gas is going up because of the summer vacationers that are arriving in the various cities of this state. Parents are losing their children to the streets because they cannot afford to be home with them due to the fact of having to work two jobs. The wealthy are not assisting anyone with their wealth. People are getting all that they can. They then can what they get. Lastly, they turn around and sit on the can. Many of you have seen and felt the pinch of our country’s sad economic state.
Relationships, both personal and professional are on the verge of breaking apart. Marriages are on the rocks. Men and women are fighting each other over money in the house. Even the drug dealers, pimps, hustlers, and prostitutes are lowering their prices in an attempt to remain in business for their families. Gangs have settled down a little bit because the price of gas to “who ride” is placing a strain on their wallets. In the entire country both saved and unsaved are feeling the sting of the reckless spending of our leaders of the very recent past.
However, in our text we find two men that know about struggle. We find two men that know about having it all and then losing it all. We find two men that have been through mess, stress, and foolishness. We find two men that have lost possessions and gained them back. We find a King and an Apostle instructing us to “Praise the Lord” and “Rejoice in the Lord.”
All our joy must terminate in God; and our thoughts of God must be delightful thoughts. Thoughts that we know that God is in control so I am going to rejoice anyhow. “Delight thyself in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Ps 37:4). In the multitude of my thoughts within me (grievous and afflicting thoughts) thy comforts delight my soul” (Ps 94:19). “My meditation of him shall be sweet, I will be glad in the Lord” (Ps 104:34). Observe, it is our duty and privilege to rejoice in God, and to rejoice in him always; at all times, in all conditions; even when we suffer for him, or are afflicted by him. We must not think the worse of him or of his ways for the hardships we meet with in his service. There is enough in God to furnish us with overwhelming joy in the worst circumstances on earth.
Christ in the soul and life of believers brings joy on the inside, and that inward joy brings rejoicing on the inside and outside. In fact, the rejoicing on the outside springs from inexpressible joy on the inside.
Christianity was designed by the blood of Jesus Christ in heaven and decreed that it would give joy to all believers regardless of the circumstances that they would face in life. Jesus designed Christianity (which means Christ-like), to bring about a calmness of spirit in the midst of life’s stormy gales, frustrations, perplexing problems, and crucial hours of need. Christianity was not designed for fretting and complaining about life.
It was not designed for fussing and feuding amongst the church members. It was not designed to weigh us down with burdens. It was not designed to shackle us with misery, pain, and suffering. It was not designed to saddle us with knotty, unsolvable, situations and circumstances. It was not designed to give us nightmares of despair. It was not designed to shower us with bitter grief. It was not designed to keep us in tears of sorrow. It was not designed to terrify us with bad dreams. It was not designed to give us bitter pills to chew and swallow. It was not designed to make us dwell on the island of isolation. It was not designed for carrying our fragile feelings in our hands from door to door. It was not designed to gain sympathy for our tears. It was not designed to make us cowards in the face of stiff opposition.
I fear that too many of us go through life fretting and complaining, cussing and fussing, whining and crying about life when we should be rejoicing. There ought to be something in your Christian life experience to rejoice about. There should be something that has transpired down through your personal Christian History for you to shout about. Christ has given his very life and has too many blessings to give to us for us to go to pieces when trials and tests come our way. I will venture to say that too many of us “so-called” Christians go to pieces over a few hurts, a few reverses, a few dreary days, a few dark nights, a few enemies, and a few false friends. In fact, along with our salvation, these are the things that we should rejoice over. There is too much living for Christ to cringe in a corner when trouble arises. Yet you call yourself a Christian. There is too much joy to experience just by being in Christ to complain about your enemies. There is too much rejoicing in Christ to do for anyone to remain on the island of isolation. Yet you call yourself a Christian. There is too much good to be done to dwell on telling your hurts from door to door seeking a pity party. There are too many smiles you can give as you travel through life to worry about the frowns you will receive. There are too many kind handshakes and hugs you can give out to worry about a cold shoulder.
Paul pens in 1st Thessalonians verses 18-23, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the spirit. Despise not prophesying. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It may seem that life is against us at times, but if you hold fast to that which is good and study it through, that which seems to be against you will work out for your good. However, you must study it. You are only out of options when you stop looking for them. We should remember that God never made a single promise that he has not kept. Therefore, it is in God that we are to rejoice. Yet you call yourself, a Christian.
God never promised that we would not have enemies but he did promise to make your enemies your footstool. He did not promise that we would not have trouble but he did promise to be with us in trouble. He did not promise that we would not see dark days, but he did promise to be the light in the darkness. He did not promise that we would not have some lonely nights but he did promise to be a company keeper in the midnight hour. God never promised that we would not know sorrow but he did promise to be our joy in sorrow. He did not promise that we would not be friendless but he did promise to be a friend in a strange land.
The true spirit of being a Christian is being able to stand when life is at its worst and to rejoice under all circumstances. Christ is the center point and source of a Christian’s real joy and our only reason for rejoicing. Paul wrote in our text, “Rejoice in the Lord and again I say rejoice.” There is no need for Christians to go through life fretting and complaining about the cataclysmic impact of trials and tests of God. No Christian man, woman, boy, or girl will go through life unscarred. Hung down heads, moaning, groaning, fretting, and complaining is not the way to prove your relationship with God. The proof of a Christian’s life is his/her ability to face life and all of its realities with faith and courage. We are admonished here to rejoice in the Lord always and to show a cheerful attitude, even in a crisis. A crisis is the catalyst for a comprehensive blessing. A comprehensive blessing stems from you understanding the way in which the Holy Ghost guides you according to God’s instructions. A true Christian knows that they are not their own, but they belong to God and the Lord is directing their paths. Job comprehended the fact that God was omniscient and omnipotent and the blessing he received far exceeded what he had in the past. Yet you call yourself, a Christian.
We do the Lord wrong when we feel that he is unconcerned about us in hours of trials. He is nearer to us than our next breath. He is too watchful to sleep and too rich to go bankrupt. He is too right to be wrong and too kind to be unjust. He is too punctual to be late. He is too near to be far away from a true Christian and too concerned about you to be negligent. Quit fretting about things that you cannot control and allow prayer to be your antidote.
Be advised that it is human to cringe in a crisis. It is easy to back away from grave situations. The biblical way is to stay in the fight and rejoice under all circumstances. Job told us, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.”
I have noticed that church folk always complain about something and Christian folk rejoice and praise and say hallelujah anyhow. The word rejoice has come down to us through the centuries. The Bible states in various areas,
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.
Rejoice evermore.
Rejoice before the Lord thy God.
Make a loud noise and rejoice.
Sing and rejoice with unspeakable joy.
Let the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice.
Let them that seek the Lord rejoice.
Rejoice in the Lord all ye that fear him.
Since you call yourself a Christian, you ought to know that we have someone and something to rejoice over and to shout about. We ought to be glad and rejoice when we come together to worship. We ought to be able to shout about the Lord and rejoice in his salvation. We ought to make noise about the Lord. You keep running around trying to fight Lucifer on your own. You will constantly lose for he knows that you are a weak and sorry representative of the Lord and he knows how to manipulate your mind so that you can remain confused about God and your salvation.
However, if you are filled with the Holy Ghost, the power of God will allow you to rejoice and your tears of sorrow will actually be tears of joy for you know that weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Therefore I say to you if you are a true Christian then you ought to be able to tell a fellow Christian that can keep their mouths shut about your problems and they can help you pray your way out. As you pray, you should be able to praise God for as well as it is because it could be worse. Therefore you should always rejoice in everything as the text has told us. Cringe at the pain but rejoice in his name.
Rejoice in the Lord’s saving grace.
Rejoice in the Lord’s mercy.
Rejoice in the Lord’s love.
Rejoice in the Lord’s truth.
Rejoice in the Lord’s loving kindness.
Rejoice in the Lord’s faithfulness.
Rejoice in the Lord’s providence.
Rejoice in the Lord’s goodness.
Rejoice in the Lord’s power.
Rejoice in the Lord’s gifts.
Rejoice in the truth of God’s Word.
Rejoice in the Holy Ghost.
Rejoice in the Holy Ghost’s quickening power.
Rejoice in the Holy Ghost’s guidance.
Rejoice in the Holy Ghost’s teaching.
Rejoice in the Lord’s Church.
Rejoice over the victory that Jesus won out on Calvary.
Rejoice over his ascension.
Rejoice over his intercession.
Rejoice for the privilege of worship.
Rejoice for the privilege of prayer.
Rejoice with your whole heart.
Rejoice for your health and strength.
Praise him for just being God.
Praise him for his mighty miracles in your life.
Praise him for his greatness.
Praise him for he is sovereign over all and the only King that cannot be dethroned. He is the governor who cannot be impeached and the righteous judge over the earth. He is the always blessing God. He is the everlasting Father. He is the ever-present God and true and tried and ever living God. He is the infallible guide who knows the way and the Captain of your soul as you sail through the sea of life. You may have gone to bed on top of the world and got up with the world on top of you, but rejoice in the name of Jesus. He is the effulgence of God’s glory and the purity of God’s nature. He is the majesty of God’s power and the beauty of God’s holiness. You cannot be a true Christian and not praise and rejoice in the Lord. How could you? And you call yourself a Christian, really?
