A Time & A Reason to Rejoice

Pastor Michael Wise

Psalm 98:1-6,9  “Oh, sing to the LORD (a command) a new song! For He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.  ² The LORD has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.  ³ He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.  ⁴ Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.  ⁵ Sing to the LORD with the harp, With the harp and the sound of a psalm,  ⁶ With trumpets and the sound of a horn; Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King….  ⁹ For He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, And the peoples with equity.”

It was several weeks ago, that I heard the head elder here make a statement to the congregation; something to the effect of “why don’t we ever hear sermons on rejoicing, why don’t our pastors preach on rejoicing”. Now I don’t know if he was deliberately looking at me when he said that, or if he knew how much I needed to study on that topic. You see he is acquainted with some of my trials and what brought me to visiting this church. But I took the elder up on his suggestion. I prayed, studied, researched and prepared this message on the Bible’s teaching on rejoicing.

The word “Rejoice”, or any form of the word, occurs 266 times in the Bible (KJV & NKJV). I can’t fit 266 Bible references into one Sabbath sermon, but here is the message the Lord laid on my heart to share:

With so much pain, anger, and bitterness in the world, it is easy to argue that there are few if any reasons to rejoice, but that thinking only shows a lack of understanding for the Bible’s teaching on rejoicing.

I understand very well from my own experiences that life in this sinful world is not fair. There are days when our lives seem to be running over with problems: family problems, health problems, financial problems – too much month and too little money, work problems, social problems, spiritual problems…. We are just plain sick and tired of being sick and tired!               

At times we don’t see an end to our troubles and we just don’t feel a reason to rejoice

May I ask: at those moments, what or who is our Focus? …. Is it self?  That is our biggest mistake, our biggest misunderstanding!

Perhaps we have we not read, understood, or claimed the promise in Jeremiah 29:11  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

What / Who should be our focus?

John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

What was Jesus’ joy?

Luke 15:3-7 “So He spoke this parable to them, saying: ⁴ “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? ⁵ “And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. ⁶ “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ⁷ “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” 

Luke 6:20-23 “Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: “Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh. ²² Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven”

1 Peter 4:12-13  “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”

What is Rejoicing?

Webster – Rejoice:

• Verb intransitive rejois’: To experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult.
• Verb transitive rejois’: To make joyful; to gladden; to animate with lively pleasurable sensations; to exhilarate.

Rejoice*: 266 times in the Bible (KJV & NKJV)

• to rejoice, to/cause to rejoice, to be or make glad
• to rejoice (arrogantly), exult (at)
• display joy
• to cry out, shout for joy (in joy, exaltation, to ring or sing out (for joy)  
• joy, mirth, gladness, gaiety, pleasure  

What makes you happy?

What in life has made you so happy you couldn’t help but shout the good news and share it with others?

Why / How?

Exodus 18:9  “Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.”

John 10:10  “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

I have had the privilege to travel as a missionary to a few places. Whether in the US, Canada, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Peru, or Panama, I’ve noticed where people had seemingly nothing and nothing to live for, that the people who had Jesus had joy & rejoicing!

What/who is our focus? …. Self, our biggest mistake, our biggest misunderstanding

John 15:11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Luke 15:3-7 – Jesus’ joy, & heaven’s, is about the lost sheep that was found – redeemed

John 15:4-5  “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  ⁵ “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Scripture teaches that we can abide in Jesus through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit His character is imparted and imputed to us.

Galatians 5:16,22  “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…. ¹⁶ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith”

Would you permit me to be so bold as to postulate this thought? Would you permit me to step all over my own toes?

If we lack joy, if we find it difficult to rejoice, it is simply because we lack the Holy Spirit, which means we are also lacking of Jesus abiding in our heart!

When not to & When to rejoice?

With/over sin

(the Golden Calf incident)  Acts 7:41 “”And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.”

Momentous occasions

(the Coronation of King Solomon) 1 Kings 1:40  “And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.” 

Have you noticed, rejoicing is not always quiet!

Opportunities to give to God for His causes

(Provisions for future temple) 1 Chronicles 29:9 “Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the LORD; and King David also rejoiced greatly”

Life events – Divine Providence – that lead us to Jesus

(Shepherds lead by the “star”) Matthew 2:10 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.”

When God calls on YOU for His service & glory

(Mary was called to be mother of Jesus) Luke 1:47 “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.”

When others have joy

(John the Baptist’s birth)  Luke 1:58  “When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.”

When you experience victory in Jesus

(The 70 cast out demons/the 70 have salvation)  Luke 10:17,20 “Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”… ²⁰ “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

When truth triumphs

(a woman healed, Jesus’ rebukes adversaries)  Luke 13:16-17  “So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound — think of it — for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” ¹⁷ And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.”

When walking with Jesus

(David’s testimony)  Acts 2:25-26  “For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the LORD always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. ²⁶ Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest”

Philippians 4:4  “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Psalm 5:11-12  “But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.  ¹² For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.”

Psalm 68:3-4  “But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.  ⁴ Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name YAH, And rejoice before Him.”

Psalm 118:24  “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Results of Rejoicing in Jesus

Jonah was instructed by God to deliver a very unpleasant message to Ninevah:

(YLT) Jonah 1:2  “Rise, go unto Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim against it that their wickedness hath come up before Me”

But when the people repented, God relented:

Jonah 3:5,8-10  “So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them… ⁸ (the king’s response) But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. ⁹ Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? ¹⁰ Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Jonah’s Outlook was not joyful or Christian when God spared Israel’s enemies:

Jonah 4:1 “But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry.”

History tells us that Ninevah eventually fell back into its old sinful ways and was ultimately destroyed.

Fear is a powerful motivator but it is only a short term motivator.

Paul & Silas’s “message” when in Philippi jail

Acts 16:19-34  “But when her (formerly demon possessed woman – now safe in Jesus) masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. ²⁰ And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city; ²¹ “and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” ²² Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. ²³ And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴ Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. ²⁵ But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. ²⁷ And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” ²⁹ Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³ And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.”

While fear is only a powerful short term motivator, LOVE is the more powerful and long term motivator.

What might have happened if Jonah’s outlook was rejoicing and loving like Paul & Silas’s…?

What might happen if our outlook is rejoicing and loving …?

My Appeal to you:  Friend, are you willing to dwell on God and His goodness to you? Are you willing to let Him fill your heart with His peace and joy?

Psalms 9:14  “I will rejoice in thy salvation.” 

Benediction:  My friend, may God fill your willing heart with the joy of His salvation. May He cause you to ride in high places and rejoice in His love even when you sit in the low places. May you search for and experience the abundant life He has planed for you, especially His plan for your eternal life with Him!