"Rejoice"

2 April 06

James 1:2 (KJV)

Mark 1:17 (KJV)

U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris

CP Walker Multicultural Gospel Service

Taegue, South Korea

BIG IDEA: What the world means by peace and what the Bible means are two different things altogether. The peace of this world is deliverance from tribulation; the peace of God is the result of deliverance from self. World peace is manmade, spiritual peace is God-given.

REFERENCES: Acts 16:11-40 (Paul in Macedonia and Philippi) Philippians 4:1-6 (KJV); Psalms 30:5b – David praises God for deliverance - … weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning (KJV); Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG) – I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for; Psalms 27:5 (KJV) For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me upon a rock; Job 14:1 (KJV) – Man that is born of a woman is of a few days and full of trouble.

I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: James 1:2 (KJV) & Mark 1:17 (17)

II. READ THE PERICOPE: James 1:2 (KJV) & Mark 1:17 (KJV)

III. READ THE TEXT: James 1:2 (KJV) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

&

Mark 1:17 (KJV) And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

IV: PURPOSE: To motivate hearers to REJOICE by finding the power to endure and overcome their troubles through their knowledge of Christ and their inward joy of salvation.

INTRODUCTION:

How many of you, today, would love to go to heaven? In fact, if you responded, yes, I would love to go to heaven, please stand-up. You maybe seated!

Now, those of you that desire to experience some “serious trouble, hard times, trials, and tribulations right now, please stand!

Hmmm, is there a reason why no one is standing right now?

Just as I thought, we all want to go to heaven. But, none of us want to go through the path of serious troubles, hard times, trials, and tribulations to get there!

Yet, troubles, hard times, trials and tribulations are all experiences WE MUST encounter enroute to our heavenly home and final destination.

But, ironically, the Bible doesn’t just informs of this knowledge; it also tells us that we should go through these experiences with a certain MENTAL DISPOSTION … called DOUBLE JOY!

In fact, James (the brother of Jesus himself says … in James 1:2) My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.

Now, my brothers and my sisters, the New Testament often links JOY with persecution.

And Jesus spoke in prayer of the antagonism of the world to him, and to his followers and asked that his followers might have “the full measure” of his joy within them (John 17:13).

Ironically, in the original Greek Language of the text, the word JOY isn’t used here. Instead the word JOY is replaced with the word REJOICE.

Rejoice means to have been filled with joy. So, in a sense, the word REJOICE means to SURPASS BEING GLAD AND EXCEED JOY TO HAVE GREAT JOY OR DOUBLE JOY!

Tracing the concept of JOY through the Bible helps us realize that our happiness, like our hope, is founded on realities that are unaffected by conditions in this World.

Turn to your neighbor and say … WEEPING MAY ENDURE for a night; But, JOY cometh in the morning! I’m going through right now … but I’m coming out; and I’m coming out better than I were before this crisis (or trouble …)

Because God has my back!

*******************Take 5 Beats **********************

MOVE 1: For you see, my brothers and sisters, What the world means by peace and what the Bible means are two different things altogether.

a. The peace of this world is deliverance from tribulation;

b. the peace of God is the result of deliverance from self.

c. Your biggest enemy is not that person sitting on your right or left.

d. But, I contend this afternoon that your biggest enemy is YOU!

e. Therefore, the Peace of God is the result of deliverance from self.

f. I submit to you today that the MOST NOTORIOUS ENEMY of your faith is yourself.

g. You yielding to THE FLESH, YOU desiring to do what YOU want to do … and NOT what God would have you to do.

*********************Take 5 Beats****************

MOVE 3: World peace is manmade, SPIRITUAL peace is God-

given.

a. For you see, sometimes there’s no human OR MANMADE explanation for the LACK OF PEACE, or physical or mental pain that we experience.