Billy Sunday said, "If your have no joy in your religion, there is a leak in your Christianity.
The missing thing in a lot of Churches today is real Christian joy. In a lot of Churches it is made up, its a put on. Some Churches look like the house of the dead rather than the house of the living or the house of the Lord.
Harry Beecher said, " Christians, it is your duty not only to be good, but to shine; and, of all the lights which you kindle on the face, joy will reach farthest out to sea, where troubled mariners are seeking the shore. Even in your deepest grieves, rejoice in God."
I-THE COMMAND FOR JOY:
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: [and] again I say, Rejoice.
A-Is it to be Conditional?
1)No, because when he wrote Philippians 4:4 he was in prison. Yet, he could still rejoice, as he and Silas had done in Acts 16.
2)Happiness depends on the outwards conditions. A little girl talking to her friend, said, "daddy must have had a good day at the office, for he kissed mother, and even patted the dog on the head".
3)But joy depends on the inward; it depends on Jesus.
4)Jesus was a man of sorrows but he had a deep joy even as he faced the cross according to John 15:11.
B-Is it to be Continuing?
1)We know that it is for we read earlier in Philippians 4:4 that Paul said, "Rejoice in the Lord Always...."
2) Corrie Ten Boom in The Hiding Place relates an incident which taught her this principle. She and her sister, Betsy, had just been transferred to the worst German prison camp they had seen yet, Ravensbruck. Upon entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea-infested. Their Scripture reading that morning in 1 Thessalonians had reminded them to rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in all circumstances. Betsy told Corrie to stop and thank the Lord for every detail of their new living quarters. Corrie at first flatly refused to give thanks for the fleas, but Betsy persisted. She finally succumbed. During the months spent at that camp, they were surprised to find how openly they could hold Bible study and prayer meetings without guard interference. It was several months later when they learned that the guards would not enter the barracks because of the fleas.
II-THE CREATOR OF JOY:
A-We find it in His Word:
Jeremiah 15:16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.
1)Some find His Word boring, I find it beautiful, some find it silly, I find it satisfying, some find it lifeless, I find it living.
2)Brother Bud Robinson, said, "the Bible knocked the cuss out of me and put the Christ of rejoicing in my heart".
B-We find it in His Worship:
Nehemiah 12:43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.
1)I had great joy when I caught a 5Lb. bass, when I made the winning basket in a high school basketball game, when my wife said yes when I asked her to marry me ,but the greatest joy is when I stand in the pulpit in the House of the Lord and say "Jesus Loves you".
2) Reasons for attending church fall into two categories -- good and bad.
In the bad column are these: Attending is socially acceptable. God is angry if I don't. Going merits His favor. I feel better. Such motivations dishonor God, and some are the devil's lies.
In the good column are these reasons: God's Word commands it. I need Christian fellowship. Others need my encouragement. I can hear the Word. I can meet God.
A story might help to explain. One day the telephone rang in the rector's office of the Washington church attended by the President. An eager voice said, "Tell me, do you expect the President to be there Sunday?" "That I cannot promise," the rector said patiently. "But we do expect God, and we fancy it will be incentive enough for a reasonably large attendance.
C-We find it in His World:
John 4:36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
1)Thomas Knight said, "Put you finger on your wrist and find your pulse. Have you found your pulse yet? If not please have some one help you find it. For every pulse of your heart, one, two, three, four ---- someone in the world has died without Jesus as their savior. They are souls who have never had the opportunity to hear the message of GOD'S love for them in Jesus, or even worse, have heard and rejected it. Do still feel your pulse? God does. He is aware of each pulse, of each soul who has entered into Hell's gates.
The commission is to go unto all the people groups and share the Gospel. To quicken every soul, unto internal life, through faith in Jesus. You can forever change the pulse beat of someone else, if you would just reach. To reach out and help them find the their heat beat, and their need for God’s love and forgiveness."
III-THE CAUSE FOR JOY:
(What reasons do we have to rejoice?)
A-We should rejoice because of God’s Salvation:
Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh [himself] with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth [herself] with her jewels.
1)I read in a paper once of a beer slogan which said, "know the of joy real living". I said to my-self, that is a lie, for real joy is knowing Jesus as your Salvation, and that He has forgiven you of your sins.
2)Man may rob you of your money, of your character, of your friends, but he can never rob you of the Salvation you have in Jesus.
3)Most of us will never be the President of the United States of America, or a Congressman from our local state, but there is one position we can have and that is "Sons of God."(John 1:12) And that is a cause to Rejoice.
B-We should rejoice because of God’s Sufficiency:
2 Chronicles 6:41 Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.
1)A lot of us trust God for the sweet by and by, but not for the now and now.
2)I heard a man giving a testimony in Church in a revival, and he said, "I don’t own a inch of land , or a home, I have no rich Uncle, no saving account, no paid off car but I rejoice that God has always met my needs."
C-We should Rejoice because of God’s Spirit:
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
1)Mark Guy Pearse tells about an unusual experience on a train trip. He was thinking about the life of Christian victory and power. He relates that as he was reading "my eye fell on the word `receive,' and I saw it was not my climbing up but the Lord coming down. It was early spring, and as we stopped at a station it was raining, and I noticed a little cottage where an old woman had put out a pitcher to catch the water, and it was filled to the brim; I said to myself, `He can take my broken pitcher of a heart and fill it abundantly.'" Open your heart and you will "receive" power.
D-We should Rejoice because of God’s Son:
1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see [him] not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1) Charles Spurgeon tells of a Mr. Welch, a Suffolk minister, who was noticed to sit and weep; and one said to him, "My dear Mr. Welch, why are you weeping?"
"Well," he replied, "I can't tell you." But when they pressed him very hard, he answered, "I am weeping because I cannot love Christ more."
E-We should Rejoice because of God’s Special Place:
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
1)The Jew always left some part of his house unfinished to remind him that he was a pilgrim on this earth, traveling toward his glorious home in heaven.
2)I am reminded of the song which says, "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be."
Conclusion:
Where is joy found?
Not in unbelief - Voltaire was an infidel of the most pro- nounced type. He wrote:
"I wish I had never been born."
Not in money - Jay Gould, the American millionaire had plenty of money. Yet when on his death bed he said:
"I suppose I am the most miserable devil on earth.
Certainly joy is not found in infidelity to God! Thomas Payne cried out during his last moments: "O Lord, help me! God, help me! Jesus Christ, help me! Voltaire said, "I am lost! I am lost! Oh that I had never been born! Colonel Charterius is reported to have said, "I would gladly give 30,000 pounds to have it proved to my satisfaction that there is no such place as hell.
Joy is not found in pleasure. Lord Byron, who revelled in pleasure all his days, wrote on his last birthday: "My days are in the yellow leaf. The flowers and fruits of life are gone. The worm, the canker, and grief are mine alone!" - He was twenty five years old when he wrote that!
Where, then, is Joy found? The answer is simple: In Christ alone. He said,
John 16:22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.
