THE JOY OF THE LORD

THE JOY OF THE LORD

Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
Rejoice means to celebrate, express joy or be glad.
Whenever God says something twice in one sentence He is letting you know that this is very, very important.
Thus, it is vital that the child of God rejoice.

The phrase “rejoice in the Lord” appear nine times in the Bible.
-Nine is the number of the fruit of the Spirit.
-Rejoicing is a sign of one of God’s children walking in His Spirit.
-Rejoice is used 220 times in God’s Word. Praise is used 287 times.
Sing is used 148 times. Joy is mentioned 190 times.

Paul doesn’t just say “rejoice in the Lord” but rejoice… alway and again I say rejoice. Why?
-Something that comes with joy is a smile, just like salt and pepper.
---Paul knows as God knows that as a special lure on the end of a fishing line will bring the fish to the fisherman, Joy is one of the lures of the Holy Spirit to attract an unsaved world to the Lord.

In Old Testament times during the days that Judah was coming out of Babylonian captivity they had finished the walls around the city of Jerusalem.
The temple was built but was not what it used to be and only ten percent or so of the Jews had returned to their homeland. But, they had a worship service:

Nehemiah 8:5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
Nehemiah and Ezra read and taught the people the word of God from morning till evening and the people said, “Amen, Amen.”
10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Joy is a sign of a person who is walking in the Spirit. Amen
Joy is a sign of a person whose heart is clean. Amen
Joy is a sign of a means of luring people to Christ.

Look at the many things that a child of God can rejoice in:
1 - Grace - Philippians 1:2 – We should rejoice in Grace - Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Grace is God doing for you individually what you could never in a billion years do for yourself. – Amen!
Grace comes from God through Jesus Christ.
God’s grace is seen on Calvary when God paid a debt that the world collectively could never pay.
Jesus satisfied the debt the world owed God. A debt that if the world stood for a billion, billion years and every man on the face of the earth paid God 100% of all his earnings, man could never repay God for the debt that Jesus paid on Calvary. That is grace!

Can you say “amen” to the grace of God.

His grace is offered to you to absolve your sin.
Grace is offered to you to for abundant joy .
Romans 5: 20b But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
To do as Judah did under Nehemiah will always brings God’s grace. They bowed before the Lord in holy worship and the joy of the Lord became their strength.

I still believe this truth. “If you are saved by grace you can live anyway you want to live,” but let me conclude. “If you are saved by grace God has placed His Spirit within you that will convict you and chasten your soul if you live contrary to God’s Word.” His Spirit will direct you to seek to live holy and at peace with Him first and others second.
A warning: John said in I John 4:1, Try the spirits to see whether they are of God. If the spirit in you tells you that you can live and enjoy the sins of the world, I would do what Paul said in Philippians 2:12: “work out your Salvation in fear and trembling.” Grace brings Joy – Amen?

2 - Peace – Philippians 1: 2: We should rejoice in Peace – Peace in nature is to think on that which is quiet and still and calm.
My wife and I have often driven up in the mountains to lovers leap.
You can stop and look out over a valley of great beauty. In the spring and fall of the year, with the wind slightly blowing and everything quiet it is so peaceful.
Peace with God is to know there is nothing between God and me.

“To have the peace of God you must know the God of peace.
Warning: -Don’t let things steal your peace with God.
-Don’t let people steal your peace with God.
-Don’t let unfulfilled expectations steal your peace with God.
Peace is not living in a world without poverty or war or strife. It is living a relationship with God so these things don’t steal your joy.

3 - Blessings – Philippians 1:3-4 We should rejoice in Blessings -
3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
Grace brings peace. Peace brings blessings. Blessings brings joy. Joy brings sweet fellowship (v 5).
--I like to come to church and greet my brothers and sisters in Christ who are enjoying the grace and peace of God.
--Sadly, some folks come to God’s house without the grace and peace of God. How do I know? No smile, No joy, No friendship. Don’t let that be you.
Illustration: A group of elderly, cultured gentlemen in China met often to exchange wisdom and to drink tea.
Each host tried to find the finest and most costly varieties of tea to create exotic blends that would arouse the admiration of his guests.
When each hosted the group he served his tea with an elaborate ceremony. On one occasion when the group met, the host measured the tea leaves from a golden box. The assembled party marveled and praised the taste of this exquisite tea. The host smiled and said, “The tea you have found so delightful is the same tea our peasants drink.
I hope this story will reminder you that the best things in life are common to all from God. They are neither the rarest nor the most costly. They are things like Grace, Peace, Brotherly love…

4 - Preaching - 1:18 We should rejoice in Preaching about Christ - What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Some of the folks that would preach because they had a grudge against someone (v 15) or they envied someone. That shouldn’t be but Paul says, It someone gets saved or right with the Lord, then I joy in it.

Ill I told a man that this pass week “Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17. I have invited him to church before. He is unsaved. I said, “Just come and listen and give God a chance to open your heart and give you eternal life in heaven.”

5 - Oneness – 2:1-2 – We should rejoice in Oneness or Unity -
2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Verse 2 is very true. Let me illustrate: If you and I are Carolina Basketball fans and I am saved and you aren’t, we could go to the game and have a good time because of our love for the team.
Now, you might drink and say a few words I might not say, but the fact that we are both wanting our ball team to win would allow both of us to get excited and rejoice over the game.
If this is true in the world, how much more should this be true in Church with a group of people who say, we are of the same mind. We love the Lord Jesus Christ. We are here to sing praises to Him. Amen and amen!

Now, lets say you are a Duke fan and I am a Carolina fan and we both go to the game, now wait! We aren’t going to get along. Why? We don’t love the same team.
But, stop and wait a minute. Let’s say, we are both saved. Now we go and shout for our team, but for the love of God we have, we go as friends and we come home friends, even though Carolina won.
Why? We have something deeper than our pet peeves. We have Jesus.
How much truer should that be at Church amongst Christians. AMEN!

Now, the reason why people don’t get along with others at work, at sporting events, at church is because of verse 3 and 4.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Paul says, do what you do for self glory. Do sing, don’t teach, don’t work, don’t do what you do to be seen. Do what you do humbly and for God’s glory. If you do, verse 3 says, You will put others before yourself.

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Verse 3 says do what you do for God. Verse 4 says do for others. It never says do for self but verse 5 tells us…
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
If so, we (v 2) “fulfill Christ’s joy.” J-O-Y Jesus -1st, Others 2nd, Yourself - 0

6 - Praise – We should rejoice when God’s children praise Him.
Phil 2:17-18, “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith I joy, and rejoice with you all.
For the same cause also do ye joy and rejoice with me.
3:1 – Finally my brethren rejoice. Rejoice can refer to singing.
Joy not only puts a smile on your face but a song in your heart.
Psalms 33:1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
God enjoys His children singing songs of praise to Him if those songs come from pure heart.
Ill. I have heard beautiful melodious music. I have heard a congregation of 17,000 people sing “Redeemed how I love to proclaim it” and my soul was lifted to heaven.
Our Choir blesses my soul. (quartets, trios, ladies, solos, music instruments)
I have listen to a 32 year old cripple boy name Bobby, sing a solo about the day he would walk through heaven. I rejoice and cried though he could not carry a note.
Praise is comely to God. He enjoys us praising in song or tongue.
Praise is comely to God’s people. Psalms 33:1

7 – Garments of Contentment – Our garments bring us joy.
Phil 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: forI have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
- 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.
There is an outward garment of Salvation and a robe of righteousness that Christians should wear.
That clothing is spiritual but it comes from the heart. It is only evident outwardly because it has been put on inwardly.

Remember when Samuel went to Jessie’s house to anoint one of his son’s to be the next king of Israel? As they marched by God said, “don’t look on the outward appearance but on his heart.” He went on and said, “for the Lord seeth not as man seeth: for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
People jumped on that and justified living like hippies back in the fifties and sixties and today they justify it by even more worldly measures.
This scripture isn’t talking about the garments a person wears but it speaks of a person’s statue.
It is speaking of man’s height. David’s brothers were tall and broad and soldiers. David was a teenager, still wet behind the ears, but God saw in him a heart that loved Him.

Isaiah 61:10 is saying, “Put on the fruits of the Spirit” and you will be decked out with the most beautiful ornaments and jewels of heaven.
Every believer that lives this way will have God’s joy.

1 – The things of the Lord bring Joy to the Believer, not the unbeliever.
- The message I just preached does not bring joy to the lost.
- Reading God’s Word is joyful to the believer.
- Singing brings joy to God’s children.
- Going to Church is joyful to God’s children.
- Sweet fellowship among God’s people is joyful.
- Prayer with God’s people is peaceful and joyful.
- To talk about Jesus Christ is Joyful and to this we say “amen, amen.”

2 - On the other hand the Things of this world bring joy to the lost, not the believer.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
A – Verse 19 speaks of Sexual Sins:
Adultery – “pornia” is when you leave your mate for another person.
Fornication “akathasia” – Those relationships outside of marriage.
Uncleanness - This is wantonness. To want a man or woman who does not belong to you is sin.
Lasciviousness: Living to satisfy the lust of the flesh above the Spirit. This is as low as you can sink in sexual sins.
The unsaved man finds his or her greatest joy satisfying the flesh.

B – Verse 19 speaks of Spiritual sins:
Idolatry – This is religious flesh at its worse. It fails to see God as holy, pure, righteous.
Witchcraft - The word for witchcraft is pharmakia. It means sorcery. We get our English word, pharmacy from this word. It can also be interpreted as “enchantment with drugs.”

C – Verse 19-21 speak of Social sins:
Hatred -- literally means, “one who nurtures hostility.” They dislike someone and rather than getting their heart right with God, they focus so much on their hate, that their bitterness grows and grows till they don’t realize how far they are from God.
Variance - “eris” – strife, quarrelsomeness. Seemingly some folks aren’t happy unless they are in a fight with someone.
Emulations - To desire what another has or to desire to be like another.
Wrath -- This is the word thumos. When one gets upset easily and explodes it is a sign of wrath. Dr. John Philllps says, “A bad temper or even an outburst of rage can reveal deep unconfessed sin.
Strife - Is the word eritheia. It is translated “factions or ambition.”
It refers a group promoting their ideas as to cause a split.
It comes from the word “hireling”. It is a work of the flesh and is seen in a person who is more interested in winning their viewpoint than bring glory and harmony to God.
Seditions - Speaks of those who cause division. They speak against the boss man as a Union representative. They speak against the Pastor and cause divisions as well.
Heresies -- A heresy is an unbiblical doctrine or teaching.
Envyings, (to desire that which is not yours) Solomon said,
Murders, - To kill someone
Drunkenness – To get drunk
Revellings, It is always associated with drunkenness.

Are you joyful over spiritual things or does it take worldly things to make you happy? I hope the things of the Lord does. If not read Philippians 2:12 and obey what Paul says.

If you lose your peace, step back and examine your focus.

Do we rejoice in the Lord or do we rejoice in things?

If the Lord was our focus we would have joy continually because the Lord changeth not.
Let me illustrate: Let’s say you have a gold and diamond ring valued at $5,000 and if was given to you by your father right before he passed away. You cherish this ring.
You also have a picture you purchased for $1.00. You set both of them in the front seat of your car because you are going to the YMCA to watch your son play ball.
When you come out someone has picked your lock and stole your $1.00 picture and they left the $5,000.00 ring. You say, “Praise the Lord.”
And so if our heart and affections are on the right thing we can lose things worth a few dollars and if does not affect our joy, as long as we don’t lose our focus on our lovely Lord.

Psalms 16: 11 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is
fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Ps 17: 7 Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.