Rejoice in the Lord Always

Philippians 4:4-9

Yada, Yadah, Yadah...

What can we do when we encounter an absence of peace in our lives?

Many of us pray for world peace… while we live personally with chaos within...

Troublesome circumstances, situations, or events come to us all...

Worry and fears may come to every single one of us… every day...

And.. Churches experience an absence of peace, as we gather together...

What can bring us... and our church family into peaceful environments?

First things first… Paul commands the Philippians to rejoice...

Rejoice in the Lord always… again...I will say… rejoice!

Now why would he believe that he he needed to repeat himself?

“Again… I will say… rejoice...”

Maybe he would like to highlight its importance… the necessity of this...

Perhaps he anticipated their eyes to roll and glaze over the first time...

Maybe he was expecting the people to say, “blah, blah, blah...”

I want to teach you two Hebrew words today: The words are “Yada and Yadah.”

One word means to “know intimately,” and the other word means to “throw praise and thanks.”

Often times when we are hearing something and we don’t want to hear it...

Or when we do not want to hear all the details...

We will say, blah, blah, blah… or Yada, Yada, Yadah...

When we are going through the pains of anxiety… we feel like blah, blah, blah...

However - When we don’t feel like praising… or feel like giving thanks… or feel like rejoicing...

God is telling us to do something that our feelings don’t feel like doing...

When we are faced with anxiety, worry, and other troublesome emotions...

We are to “yada” - To know the Lord intimately, deeply, remember Him… connect with Him...

And we are to “yadah” - Throw praise, give thanks, and rejoice… Throw out praise to Him...

“Yada” - Know the Lord… and “Yadah” - Rejoice in the Lord...

This is of upmost importance...

Our joy starts and ends with the Lord...

The Lord is the beginning and the end of our joy and peace...

The Lord is our Eternal Peace… He is the Source of our Eternal Joy.

And this is the Good News… Jesus is unchanging… His Promises are unchanging.

His Love is unchanging… His Goodness, mercy and grace is unchanging...

Our circumstances will change… Paul’s circumstances changed…

The church’s circumstances will change from season to season...

But the Lord will be constant and unchanging… no matter what.

There is joy to be found in the Lord… There is peace to be found with Him.

When we cannot find joy and peace in any other place… We can find it in Him...

At times… I cannot see the good in what I am facing and where I am… but there is joy and peace with Him.

No situation is beyond the Lord… No circumstance is greater than the Lord...

No situation or circumstance can change the Lord or our standing with the Lord...

So every Christian can find joy and peace in the Lord… when we cannot find it anywhere else.

Did Paul have to learn this? I believe so. Look at verse 11.

Paul is going to say… that He had to learn to be content with the Lord...

He will say that He can do all things through Christ who strengthens Him...

He had to learn this… Practice this… WE will have to learn and practice this.

He was arrested, beaten, persecuted, ridiculed… stoned… shipwrecked… imprisoned...

When Paul and Silas were imprisoned… They prayed, sang hymns, and rejoiced...

He had to learn this…

And right now… as he is writing this… He is now sitting in a prison situation...

Paul knows the Lord and he knows what he is talking about...

The joy of the Lord was his strength...

The joy of His grace, love and mercy was Paul’s strength...

The Joy of the Cross, of forgiveness, of His promises…

They are my strength… Our strength...

Church family… may we rejoice in the Lord… In the Lord… always...

Your joy… my joy… is found with Him always...

2. Let your gentleness be known to all...

Now… with our eyes and hearts directed to the Lord… our joy and peace...

Remember: Yada, Yadah, Yadah...

With our minds and hearts directed to the Lord… rejoicing in Him as a lifestyle...

We direct our attention to one another...

People are not the beginning and ending of our joy...

You are not the beginning and ending of my joy… you do not control my peace and joy...

The Lord is the Source of my joy and peace...

My eyes are on the Lord… He is controlling my joy and peace meter...

So… instead of allowing people to rob me of my joy and peace...

I will look to the Lord… I will be filled with His joy and peace...

And then I can remain at peace with people… with you… I can remain gentle...

The gentle person, the gentle Christian is not the weak Christian...

The gentle person is not a wimp...

The gentle and godly person is looking to Christ and is being self-controlled.

Jesus said: “Blessed are the meek… Blessed are the gentle...”

Men typically have a hard time with this...

We are quick to show aggression, power, dominance… to let everyone in the room or at the table know that they are in control… or just be noticed or be shown respect...

(Story from Jerry Clower of the bulls)

Sometimes we just want people to know that we are bulls too...

But while doing so… we do damage...

We would rather be feared than be gentle...

But… What is a great incentive to be kind and gentle?

Verse 5 - The Lord is at hand… the Lord is Near!

The Lord is here and the Lord is now… looking, watching, and knowing all things...

The Lord is also coming again to Judge all of creation...

The Lord is watching… the Lord is coming again… and the Lord is able to help you now...

If you will go back to verse 2… there are two women in the church that are at odds with one another… and Paul encourages them to make things right and to be of the same mind...

Go to one another… Look to the Lord together, forgive, and be gentle to one another.

Both of you look to the look together… rejoice in the Lord together...

Remember that the Lord is near and is coming again...

Practice the Presence of Christ in your lives...

Live towards one another as if Jesus is always before you...

This should also help us out with our anxiety...

3. Be anxious for nothing...

How?

I will keep the Lord before me… rejoice in the Lord always...

I will not allow people to overwhelm me and cause me anxiety...

I will throw out rejoicing, praise and thanksgiving...

And I will throw off the anxiety...

In everything… by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God...

And then… the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Remember: “Yada, Yadah, Yadah...”

This is the throwing off part… Looking to the Lord with prayer and supplication...

Worry and anxiety may be common to us all… and it causes problems...

Worry is tension between the mind and heart...

It comes when we have a lack of trust in the Lord.

Anxiety is that emotion and fear about what might happen...

You see the problem as bigger than God...

This event… the circumstance… this situation... this sin… is bigger than God.

Our eyes and our minds are filled and consumed with the problems...

And we are not consumed with God...

This is a problem... that causes more problems...

What does Peter say?

1 Peter 5:7 “Humble yourselves under God and cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Remember: “Yada, Yadah, Yadah...”

Instead of throwing, or allowing the anxieties to be thrown on you...

We are to throw them off onto God...

We are to throw off the anxieties...

And we are to throw out rejoicing, praise and thanksgiving instead...

Then… then… the peace of God will come...

Then… peace that doesn’t make sense… will come...

And guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus...

Then… only then...

When we throw off the anxiety… and throw out the praise...

When we know the Lord intimately… when we remember Who He is...

And when we choose to to look to Him and throw our cares onto Him...

And give Him the praise and thanksgiving that is His due...

Then we shall receive the benefit of this obedience: Peace.

Rejoice in the Lord always… again I say rejoice!

Let your gentleness be known to all...

Be anxious for nothing...

Know the Lord intimately… and Rejoice in the Lord always.

Yada, Yadah, Yadah...

Close and Pray