Rejoice Always

It’s amazing to see how God keeps arranging these little intersections of texts and teachers on Wednesday night. Tonight we are going to be looking at a tiny text, very short and sweet. Just 1 Thessalonians 5:16, which says “Rejoice always.”

Most of you probably remember my trials in the hospital this past summer, dealing with abdominal pains and a wayward appendix. I felt a lot of things back then, many of which I never want to feel again—but joy was not one of them!

Not at first, anyways. At first, my spiritual thoughts were mostly filled with little prayers for deliverance, “Lord, please, just make it go away!” Sins of the flesh took their turns to tempt me: anxiety, anger, pride, selfishness. I was caught off-guard. I’d never waited in bed for four days just to have a bowel movement. That was new. The whole experience was new, and it tested my relationship with the Lord.

Looking back on it, I am thankful that the Lord used those trials to stir up my prayer life as I entered into a busy season with seminary. He knew I needed to recalibrate, to reconsider my joy in Him even when I was going through hard times.

Remember that our text for this evening is 1 Thessalonians 5:16, which commands us to “rejoice always.” Tonight I plan to search Scripture with you, and my goal is to recalibrate your perspective on joy. I’ll begin with a brief introduction to the nature of joy, but then we’ll consider how, when, and why you, as a believer, must rejoice.

Pray with me as we begin.

The Nature of Joy

As we warm up for a jog through Scripture, I want you to think about joy. At first glance, it’s such a simple concept. We know joy when we see it, and we love to be around joyful people. We enjoy and are overjoyed by things all the time.

But what exactly is biblical joy, and what does it mean to rejoice?

To Rejoice is to Express Joy

Well, rejoicing is pretty easy. It is a verb, which requires action. So we might say that to rejoice is to express joy, in some form or fashion. To rejoice is to express joy.

Joy, though, is a little harder to define because it is so flexible. For complex terms like this, it’s helpful to start with a simple definition and clarify with contrasts.

So here’s mine. I would argue that joy is a grateful response to the grace of God. Joy is a grateful response to the grace of God. And rejoicing determines the form of that response. You have to decide how you are going to put the noun into action.

Joy is Different from Happiness

Let’s compare joy to happiness first. The simple difference between the two is that happiness is a reaction to ordinary circumstances, while joy is a reaction to spiritual realities. Circumstances come and go, but joy is anchored by eternal truth.

Romans 12:12 says that we are to rejoice “in hope,” and Romans 5:5 says that “hope does not put to shame.” Circumstances will fail us, but we must cling to what God has revealed about Himself, especially through His actions on behalf of His people. These actions are the heart of grace and the source of joy, our grateful response.

Joy is Different from Peace

But joy is also different from peace, even though they are side by side in the fruits of the Spirit, and even though peace often leads to joy. Be careful that you do not equate the two. The difference is that peace is a reaction to the absence of evil, while joy is a reaction to the presence of good. They are similar but different.

Peace reassures us, while joy compels us. Many times in Scripture we are described as simply being “at peace” with someone, while we are said to return, serve, offer, bring, receive, and see “with joy.” These texts indicate that joy is associated with action. Faith without works is dead, and joy without expression just shrivels up.

Joy is Hampered by Sin and Worldliness

Lastly, your joy is hampered by your sin and worldliness. John James, a puritan writer, says in his treatise Spiritual Joy that while “immorality” is the greatest of all killjoys, “sins of omission and defect… [also] prevent or diminish our joy.” He means that neglect of spiritual disciplines and indulgence in worldly entertainment dull the sparkle of your joy. He says, “The religion of some people is just enough to make them miserable. It spoils them for the world, without fitting them for the church.”

So, you have been warned! You must cultivate joy. You must take action to express gratitude for the grace of God in your life. In other words, you must “rejoice.”

How You Must Rejoice

1 Th 5:16a, rejoice

I want to consider several options for how you can express joy in order to give God glory and make a proper return to Him for His grace in your life. Some of these options are commanded, and others are not, but the point is that you must rejoice.

Consider the ten lepers that Jesus healed in Luke 17, where only one of the lepers returned to Him. Was the “joy” of the other nine spiritual in any sense at all? No, it was not! They neglected to return and rejoice with the One who had healed them. Their joy was meaningless and lifeless because it lacked proper expression.

Rejoice by Giving Thanks in Prayer

Look down at 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, where we learn proper expression:

1Th 5:16-18, “16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

In Greek, these three commands are grammatically structured in parallel. It says always rejoice, unceasingly pray, in everything appreciate. Then they are tied together by the common explanation: they are God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Why is this important? Let me reorganize it for clarity. Taken together, Paul is saying that you should always, unceasingly, and in everything be rejoicing by giving thanks in prayer. This means the highest or best expression of joy is giving thanks in prayer. It means using your own words to express to God your gratitude for what He has done. It means being like the one leper who returned to praise Jesus in person.

And we don’t have time to look at it, but you can find the same trio of joy, prayer, and thanksgiving in 1 Thessalonians 3:9 as well, just a couple chapters earlier.

Rejoice by Making Melody in Song

In addition to giving thanks in prayer, you can also rejoice by making melody in song. Both Ephesians 5:19-21 and Colossians 3:16-17 describe psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs as legitimate expressions of gratefulness to God. These things are to be done “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” just like we must rejoice in the Lord.

Rejoice by Sharing Peace in Greeting

Thirdly, you can rejoice by sharing peace in greetings. Remember that I said peace often leads to joy. Now you, as believers, can express your peaceful unity in the Lord by greeting and receiving one another with joy. This should be common.

In the New Testament, the word often translated “Greetings!” is the same word we are studying tonight, “Rejoice!” They would greet one another by saying, “Rejoice!” This is how Jesus greeted the disciples in Matthew 28:9 after He rose from the dead; Zaccheus received Jesus with joy in Luke 19:6, and Paul instructed the Philippians to receive men like Epaphroditus “in the Lord with all joy” in chapter two, verse 29.

Rejoice by Smiling, Clapping, Laughing, Shouting, Leaping, and Dancing

Lastly, we can also recognize smiling, clapping, laughing, shouting, leaping, and dancing as various forms of rejoicing which are stated, implied, or commanded in relevant passages like Pr 15:13, Ps 47:1; 126:2; 150:4; and Lk 6:23.

I think we can safely include smiling with the biblical exhortation to greet one another. For the rest, though, I want to consider how Ecclesiastes 3:4 says that there is an appropriate time to rejoice, and how it implies a need for discernment.

In 1 Corinthians 14:12, Paul encouraged the believers “to abound [in spiritual gifts] for the edification of the church.” The gift of prophecy was deemed more edifying than the gift of tongues or languages because it had clear meaning.

Similarly, I intentionally listed these biblical forms of rejoicing in order. Giving thanks in prayer, making melody in song, and sharing peace in greeting are the three highest expressions of joy and, not surprisingly, the only ones commanded for practice in the church. They can easily be done both at church and at home. They are also unique because they are the only three that involve spoken words.

The remainder are not necessary, but are encouraged otherwise. The wicked also clap, laugh, shout, leap, and dance. The first time we find them in the Bible is during the rebellion at Sinai with the golden calf. It is important to recognize that the only expressions of joy that are explicitly encouraged are those done before the Lord as a response to His grace. The rest will vary by culture as expressions of happiness, but they lack spiritual joy and we should exercise care with them just like we do with alcohol. These things are not inherently sinful, but they can be if we are careless.

So while the Bible encourages those physical forms of rejoicing at certain times, it primarily emphasizes simple, verbal expressions of joy. It is helpful to keep in mind that you can always greet and fellowship with believers, remind yourself of truth with helpful songs, and thank God in prayer for his unfailing grace and mercy.

When You Must Rejoice

1Th 5:16b, always

You Must Rejoice Always

Now look back at verse 16, and consider the other word in our text. Not only are you commanded to “rejoice,” but you are commanded to rejoice “always.” We have gone into some detail considering how you must rejoice, and now we will consider when you must rejoice. The obvious answer is “always,” but that raises questions.

For example, how are you supposed to weep with those who weep if you’re always rejoicing? That seems like a paradox. And the big question: are you still supposed to rejoice even when terrible things happen? Do you rejoice when your baby dies? When people swindle you? When your kids disobey, or your health fails you? How about trying to rejoice when you’re sound asleep for hours every night?

If you look back at 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, you can notice the similarity between the three modifiers it lists. It says always, without ceasing, and in everything. I think the last one, “in everything,” can be seen in the Psalms. The Psalmists had major life problems, but they always managed to end with a focus on the grace of God. And that’s the key. In every situation, you have to discern and appreciate God’s grace.

Let me briefly mention six situations in which you still need to rejoice:

Even When You Are Disgruntled

Do you remember Euodia and Syntyche from Philippians 4? These two ladies seem to have had some disagreements and probably were feeling pretty disgruntled.

Paul commanded them, in Phil 4:4-6 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” They were supposed to rejoice, pray, and give thanks. Those are the same commands from our passage in 1 Thessalonians 5!

So, even when you are disgruntled and don’t get your way, you must rejoice.

Even When You Are Despised

Secondly, you must rejoice even when you are despised. In Acts 5:41, 13:51-52, and Heb 10:34, we find the disciples suffering, being beaten and rejected, and having their possessions seized. Yet in all three passages, we find them rejoicing.

So, even when you are despised and persecuted, you must rejoice.

Even When You Are Discouraged

What about when bad things happen to good people? James 1:2 says, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials” and in 2 Cor 8:2 Paul records, “in a great testing by affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the richness of their generosity.” This means these hard situations are the best times to cultivate joy. It must be particularly pronounced.

So, even when you are discouraged because of bad things, you must rejoice.

Even When You Are Disappointed

And you know what, you might try to excuse your lack of joy when bad things happen to good people by explaining that if only good things happened to good people, then you would rejoice. But that’s not true because then you’d be jealous.

President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” This is the reason you have to be commanded in Romans 12:15 to “rejoice with those who rejoice.” This is a command because we’re more naturally inclined to envy.

So, even when you are disappointed and outdone, you must rejoice.

Even When You Are Disciplined

I mentioned earlier that sin and worldliness hamper your joy. If you are a believer and you indulge in these things, you can be confident that God will correct you. This correction and instruction is not pleasant, but it is not an excuse either.

Hebrews 12:11 says “all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, but to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Like the disciples, you must learn to rejoice.

So, even when you are disciplined for your own sin, you must rejoice.

Even When You Are Depressed

Lastly, you may have wondered if you have “depression.” It’s not really a biblical condition, but it is a generic term for people who might otherwise be described as suffering from things like anxiety, sadness, anger, apathy, despair, or fatigue.

For some, depression may function as an excuse for the absence of joy. Perhaps you are just hiding in the shadows of psychological terminology to avoid being exposed to the searching light of Scripture. This is not always true, but it is true often.

John MacArthur suggests 10 reasons why believers may lack biblical joy. They include false salvation, the influence of Satan and his demons, an inadequate understanding of God’s sovereignty, prayerlessness, the emotional low that frequently follows a spiritual high, focusing on circumstances, ingratitude, forgetfulness, living by uncontrolled feelings, and an unwillingness to accept forgiveness. These are just a few of the reasons you may be feeling depressed.

None of these, though, are excuses to disobey this command to rejoice always.

So, even if you are feeling depressed and down, you must rejoice.

This command to rejoice always leaves us without excuse. You must rejoice, even if you are disgruntled, despised, discouraged, disappointed, disciplined, depressed or anything else. Always and in everything, God commands you to rejoice.

Why You Must Rejoice

1 Th 5:18b, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

And this rejoicing is not something trite or shallow, it’s not empty or hollow. There is great meaning and value involved in biblical rejoicing. We’ve considered how and when you must rejoice, and now I will end with two reasons why you must rejoice.

Because Your Work Requires Joy

First, you must rejoice because your work requires joy. After the Israelites returned from exile in Babylon and began the daunting work of rebuilding Jerusalem, Ezra the priest read and explained the book of the law of Moses to the people. Then Nehemiah the governor announced in Nehemiah 8:10, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”

And verse 8 says the people did just that! “Because they understood the words which had been made known to them.” This passage provides a helpful paradigm. The people were taught the Word of God, and the joy of understanding it gave them the strength they needed to carry out and obey all of God’s commands in the law.

John James explains that joy affects us in the same way as well. He says,

Spiritual joy is the oil to the wheels of obedience. It is this which braces up the soul for action, and carries it forward through difficult and self-denying duties.

This is why Anchor hosts summer sessions! It’s the same reason we gather for corporate worship. God is not glorified by miserable Christians. You need the joy of understanding God’s Word to be zealous in good works and to bring God glory.

Because Your God Inspires Joy

And when we seek Him in Spirit and in truth, God does not fail to deliver the goods. You must rejoice because your work requires joy, but also because your God inspires joy. Let me bring this to a close with another list from John MacArthur. In his commentary on our text, he shares 10 reasons why you should rejoice:

Out of appreciation for God’s righteous character (Ps. 28:7; cf. Neh. 8:10; Pss. 71:23; 89:16; Isa. 61:10)

Out of appreciation for Christ’s redemptive work (Luke 2:10; 10:20; Rom. 5:1–2, 11; 1 Peter 1:8–9)

Out of appreciation for the Holy Spirit’s ministry on your behalf (Acts 10:44; Rom. 14:17; cf. 8:14–27)

Because of the vast array of spiritual blessings you possess (cf. Eph. 1:3–4; Phil. 4:13, 19; Col. 2:9–14; 2 Peter 1:3)

Because God is providentially orchestrating everything for your benefit (Rom. 8:28–30; James 1:2–4)

Out of gratitude for the promise of future glory (cf. Ps. 16:8–11; Matt. 5:12; Luke 10:20; 1 Cor. 1:7; Phil. 1:18–21; 3:20; Jude 24)

For answered prayer (Pss. 66:20; 116:1, 17; 118:21; John 16:24)

For the gift of God’s Word (Col. 3:16; cf. Pss. 19:7–11; 119:14, 111, 162; Jer. 15:16)

Because of the privilege of genuine fellowship (1 Thess. 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:4; Philem. 7; 2 John 12)

In the saving proclamation of the gospel (Acts 15:3; cf. Phil. 1:18)

As I read these, I hope you were struck by the fact that rejoicing is far more than a duty. It is actually your privilege as believers. Unbelievers’ minds are darkened to the truth; they are unable to perceive these things. It’s like they have spiritual COVID and can’t taste or smell God’s work in their lives. They are stripped of spiritual joy. But because of the enlightening work of the Holy Spirit, believers can feast on the grace of God. Thinking biblically, your entire life becomes a buffet of blessings.

Conclusion

God will bless you with great joy if you pay attention to His grace in your life. Like the Thessalonians, you need to rejoice as you wait patiently for Jesus’ return, and you also need to rejoice when we gather for worship and fellowship as a local church. Like Jesus, this joy enables you to endure suffering and despise shame, looking forward to the day when we will rule and reign together with Him.

Do not use the answers “read the Bible,” “pray,” or “fellowship.” Try to imagine talking to a younger believer. Think about specific passages and practical helps.

Postlude

I want to share a brief, sort of pastoral, admonition. We’ve started into the month of November, and we all know Thanksgiving is coming up at the end of the month. It is actually one of my favorite holidays both because of the food and because it has a really solid theological foundation. I’ve actually written a short five-minute speech I update each year and read with Raahail and whoever we’re with in our family.

I’m not going to give it to you now, but in it I quote from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the two presidents who inaugurated and established this holiday. They each delivered a speech to explain Thanksgiving. Interestingly, they say it was originally established as a holiday of thanksgiving and repentant prayer. It’s not surprising that our country has forgotten the part about repentance and prayer.

But I bring that up because there is a Thanksgiving tradition I know a lot of families do, and I don’t think it’s done quite right. Maybe your family does it. Everyone gets together at some point, and you all tell each other things that you’re thankful for.

It’s a pretty simple tradition, and it’s a good one. But especially speaking to the men in this room and the heads of households, I would encourage you to go further. I would encourage you to lead your family in prayer, and maybe even ask them to pray and to thank God individually. This is one way you can obey the command to rejoice. Remember how I explained that joy needs proper, biblical expression.

Not everyone practices this tradition during Thanksgiving, and there’s certainly no Bible verse about it, but remember the nine lepers from Luke 17. I’m sure those nine lepers sat around and talked together about how great it was to be healed. But their joy failed because they never returned to rejoice with the One who healed them.

Men, I encourage you this year to be like the one leper who returned and rejoiced with Jesus. Make it a point to lead your family in specific and thankful prayer.

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