Rejoice Evermore!

TEXT: 1 Thessalonians 5:16

(Portrays Christ as “GOD PRESENT WITH US”)

1 Thessalonians 5:16 is one of the shortest verses in the Bible, but it really packs a big punch.  It’s telling us to keep a cheerful attitude all the time.  In fact, the word “rejoice” in the Greek means “cheerful”.

God wants us to have a cheerful demeanor in all circumstances.

This first letter to the Thessalonians is one of Paul’s first writings we have in scripture.  “Rejoice always”, he says.  “Rejoice always” – whether washing dishes, folding laundry, cleaning the bathroom, sitting in traffic. Does Paul really mean it?  “Rejoice always”?  How can we rejoice always?  Bad things, evil things, terrible things happen all around us.  There are little things, big things, tragic things, annoying things.  How can we rejoice?  Let me make this clear:  Paul is not suggesting that everyone should go around with a forced smile on their face, acting as if everything is okay.

He is not saying that suffering does not come to those who are faithful believers in Christ.  Paul himself faced suffering, persecution, health difficulties. It would be unrealistic for Paul to suggest that Christians ought to forget every difficult moment or trial in their lives, acting as if they didn’t exist.

THIS JOY IS TO BE EXPERIENCED "ALWAYS" - NOT JUST AN OCCASIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE...But in darkness as well as in light; in trials as well as in triumphs.

James 1:2-3  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

Roman 5:3-4 “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.

     
What Paul says is “Rejoice always.”  Rejoice has the word joy as its root.

Webster describes joy as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.  It also describes it as a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight.

But how many know that Joy - true joy - is deeper than a painted-on smile.

It is based on more than just our changeable feelings.  Our feelings can be up and down with each passing moment, and happiness can come and go just as quickly.

Experiencing true joy, being able to rejoice always, is a gift from God given in spite of circumstances.  No matter what happens – good, bad, and everything in between – Christ is with us to see us through it!  This doesn’t mean that things in life won’t hurt, but that even in the midst of the hurts, we can rejoice because God is still good.  “Rejoicing always” really means leaning toward the joy rather than the pain and asking God to deliver us the rest of the way so we can rejoice always.

This joy is not something we can manufacture if we tried.  We can’t make ourselves experience it or force ourselves to “rejoice”, but we can choose to move toward the gift that is given.  

Joshua 24:15 says Choose you this day whom ye will serve; …. but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

You know sometimes things are going to be hard, bad things may sometimes happen to you, but look it’s only a test and also things happen only to establish your testimony.  Romans 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  How can you tell of God’s goodness if you’ve never been delivered from anything?

So you might as well just trust in The LORD and have a positive attitude about everything.

Remember the incident recorded in Acts 16 which had taken place shortly after Paul had arrived in Philippi?  He and Silas had been unjustly arrested, whipped savagely and cast into prison.  Their feet were locked into the stocks. Yet despite all the injustice, the horror, the darkness, the pain, the frustration and uncertainty, Paul and Silas were “rejoicing” in the Lord at midnight.  That illustrates his teaching so perfectly.  Their circumstances were so adverse, and yet their emotional condition bore no relation at all to their actual providential situation!  Glory to God!!

It was not the injustice that determined their feelings.  It was not their bruised aching backs.  It was not the stocks.  It was not the uncertainty of the future. None of those things determined the way they felt.  Their affections and their frame of mind were altogether independent of their objective situation.  Yet in that situation, they rejoiced!  In the middle of this suffering, they prayed and sang hymns of praise to God!

It’s not easy to rejoice always but reflect on the things we can rejoice about. Just take a walk down memory lane and look back over your life and see where God has brought you from.

If something is blocking you from experiencing joy, figure out what it is and remove it!  Most of the time, our joy gets stolen from the inside out instead of the other way around.  Usually we are the ones who quarantine ourselves from the joy.  Find a way to let joy into your life – bit by bit.  Do something that will bring you or someone else joy.  Do something positive to bring someone else a little joy, and you might just find that joy turning back on you and bringing you joy in the process.

Certainly, a compassionate heart cannot be untouched by the hardships of others. Romans 12:15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

And yet, properly spoken words of comfort and counsel can provide a joyful reprieve from the hardships others bear.  Proverbs 16:24  Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.  

But Paul says, “Rejoice always”, not “Rejoice when everything’s finally okay”.

If you’re waiting around for joy to find you, you’re going to be waiting for a long time.  Most people don’t find joy because they’re looking in the wrong places.  They’re waiting for their life circumstances to bring them joy.

They’re waiting for good health or supportive relationships to automatically appear.  They’re waiting for career advancement and financial security to fall into their lap.  Some people rely on "TEMPORARY" JOY...

     1. Drugs (including alcohol and tobacco).

     2. Sexual pleasures (whether lawful or unlawful).

     3. Material acquisitions (the act of acquiring or gaining possessions).

But this approach to joy will never work.

But these things are at best like riches, which Make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven (Proverb 23:5); and at worst are "the passing pleasures of sin":   To enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.  (Hebrews 11:25)

Don’t wait for your life to be perfect in order to open your heart to joy – you’ll never experience joy at that rate. Eventually something will puncture your perfect life.  That’s when you realize that joy based on positive outward circumstances will never last.

Paul, however, provides the solution in Philippians 3:12-14

        a. Realize your imperfection; yet press on to better things!

        b. Forget your past failures; reach forward to future successes!

Vs 12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect:  but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

Vs 13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:  but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

V14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

If your plan for finding joy is to be rich, healthy, successful, and beloved; if your goal is to have a pain-free, trouble-free life, then get ready for lots of disappointment.

We know that this isn’t always easy to do.  Sometimes we feel just the opposite, especially when things don’t go just like we wanted.

So why would the LORD tell us to be cheerful all the time if it wasn’t that easy?

Because God knows that a cheerful approach changes things.  First of all, it has a tremendous effect on you personally.  Cheerfulness helps you overcome tough times.  It gives you the mental wherewithal to rise above things.

Proverbs 15:13  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:  but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.  Proverbs 17:22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:  but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Secondly, cheerfulness also makes people like being around you more.  That in itself offers encouragement and strength.  Another thing cheerfulness does is brighten up the atmosphere.  It’s like opening the blinds and letting the sunshine into the window.

I am convinced that God wants us to be cheerful for yet another reason.  That is because rejoicing and cheerfulness is exactly the opposite of everything the devil is!

When we rejoice, the devil just cannot hang around!  Without the devil hanging around, we open the way for good things to be attracted to us.

Go ahead and try it; see what rejoicing all the time will do for you today!

Rejoice always, even if it seems you can’t meet Mr. or Mrs. Right!

Rejoice always, even if you find yourself next in line for a lay off!

Rejoice always, even if you don’t have running water or natural gas service!  Rejoice always, knowing that Jehovah-jireh is moving on our behalf!  Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus!

LORD, I choose to rejoice today!  I rejoice over every situation that concerns your people, over __________.  As I rejoice, every demon has to flee, and I thank You, LORD, that good things shall come my way. In Jesus Name I pray.    Amen!!!!

Evangelist Jackie Burton