Rejoice in the Lord Always 2

As we begin to snow this year in January. I'm moving into February and the rest of the year. I'm hoping that we can. Learn to become Disciples of Christ. I want us to be more like rice. I want us to grow into mature in a relationship and our walk with Jesus. The meaning of disciple is one who followed Jesus we look at the Disciples of Jesus. It was those who followed him and they went everywhere that he did and they helped him and all the things that he was doing and they participated and all of the Miracles that Jesus did they hurt all the words of Jesus said they had questions of Jesus and they interacted with him. They were his disciples and I hope that we can be Disciples of Jesus to even though we can't see him and can't fall more Farm around physically. I hope that spiritually that we will hope it's within our hearts to follow after Jesus to do the things that he did to say the things that he said and to not show ourselves to Bee Gees be Disciples of Jesus after all Jesus himself did this very thing we can read in the Gospel of John that the things that he said, What are the things that he heard the father saying in the things that he did were the things that he heard or saw the father doing? It says in John chapter 12 verse 49. I have not spoken on my own authority. But the father said to me gave me a command what I should say and what I should speak first for the interesting Jesus himself. He said what the father told him to say. And then John 5:19. It says Jesus answered and said to them most assuredly I say to you the son can do nothing of himself. But what he sees the father do for whatever he does the Sun Also does in like manner. That's what I supposed to live our lives. After what we think we should do. We're not supposed to say the words that we think we should say apart from the words of Christ and that's what it means to be a disciple and so as we learn what the the words of truth all those are the things that we should speak. As we learn how God wants us to behave and act those are the things that we should do. And as we come to Philippians chapter 3, I just want to read verses 12 through 16. I'm kind of using this passage, even though I could use the host of other passages. I'm using this passage in order to encourage us in our discipleship of the Lord and our growth of the Lord said it says in Philippians chapter 3 verse 11. Actually Paul says if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead and then he started picks up and rest. Well, not that I have already attained or I'm already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me brother and I do not count myself to have apprehended. But one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us as many as Armature have this mind and if any in anything you think otherwise God will reveal even this to you nevertheless to the degree that we have already attained. Let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind every 15 again. It says as many as are mature and that's what I I hope that we can attain in our spiritual eyes with Lord. We can come to a certain measure of maturity. Be mature in Christ means that we against that we're going to follow after Jesus, right and what he says we say and what he does weed. That's what I hope that we can do and I end up and so as we grow in the Lord, I hope that that kind of Springs out in service to him both here in the church. And I'm really praying that the Lord will be able to start up and and get going and Outreach Ministry here at the church where we can have an impact on our society as well and I on the people who live around us or he has put us here in this place is a lighthouse right? And I hope that this church will be an active Church 7 days a week something is going on. What are not just for us but for the community and so that we can reach and reach out and share the message of the Gospel with those that are on us so we can see more more people saved a man and that means that we all have to be a part of that as a God has called each one of us. We all have our places. So some of you have an inclination or desire for certain things and I name five things at the beginning right over there were five a list of 5 things that I read off now as I read them off some of you that there's no way I'm doing that for some of the things we're asked for the same thing other cities. Well, you know, maybe I could do that and then I go to the second one and some of you thought there's no way I'm doing that and that while other stop yeah, I might be able to do that. You see how it goes. And so, you know the spirit of God of the Lord just kind of prompts when there are hard based on the knee that is around us and so we are moved in that direction. In order to serve him as I would have to kind of be aware and have our use open or spiritual ears open to the things that he is doing around us and where we see him go Jesus where we see him go. We should follow after him and participate in that and so the disciples and grow in our relationship to the Lord started. This is going back 3 weeks. I guess now we saw in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 1 and often being a disciple and growing in the Lord doesn't take a whole lot of doing it can really be simple and basically what is involved is this when you come across something in Scripture that we are encouraged to do then begin doing it. So the first point of the first point that we began within our investigation of what it means to grow in the Lord is This question what makes you happy rejoice in the lord always so that was kind of our first one we started from Philippines Chapter 3 Verse 1 in this is finally my brethren rejoice in the Lord. Finally my brethren rejoice in the Lord about being happy. And if you remember we kind of look at our lives, right? What are the things in your life that make you happy and it could be people and it could be food and it could be if your sports team won or not and up right now. I am not very happy if when I think about my sports teams because Every step along the way I wanted them the New England Patriots to lose. And every step along the way they have one and I am bummed out. I am just not happy about the Superbowl for one reason the New England Patriots are in it and I got to be the All-Star hoping that the Rams are going to beat the Patriots.

And if not, what are you going to do?

Now this is this is how the world this is how we think just a natural terms. We we kind of find our pleasure. We find her joining the things that are all around us. And there's nothing really wrong with that. I mean, there's nothing wrong with enjoying some good food into it and for enjoying the company of others and for enjoying are working and enjoying these things that there is nothing wrong with that. But if if then basis of the foundation of my joy is found in all of these things, I will be disappointed. I'll be disappointed. My my family will let me down my friends will let me down my food will give me indigestion my teams will lose and all of these things, you know, I will be let down and I will find myself not happening. What are the Bible encourages us to Rejoice? We we have to change the foundation of our joy from the things that are all around us to something that is unmovable. And of course I was only the Lord and so rejoice in the Lord.

Related to a two things first by we looked at rejoicing in the Lord and we looked at the second Point here rejoicing always and we if you remember we memorize the second shortest verse in the Bible y'all remember that Jesus wrapped is the first shortest verse in the Bible. The second shortest verse is first the first Thessalonians 5:16 rejoice. Always Rejoice always that's the second shortest verse in the Bible. We learned that a few weeks ago some of us forgot that already and had to be reminded but that's that's okay. That's how it goes. And so we be reminded again and again and again and again until we finally get it but it's an important first. I mean I can consider the implications are the truth of Jesus weeping. It shows that he had compassion but here's one that's really practical Rejoice. Always I have to that's a good verse to kind of commit to memory and you know, we grow when we put this into practice in our lives. What's up, some of us have a disposition towards happiness. Some of us have a disposition towards happiness. We're just kind of made that way and it's hard to get people that are like that down there just happy all the time. They walk around with a smile on their face and it just like there's very little that budges that smile. I just cannot understand that but there's some people think that I'm kind of on the other end of the spectrum. I have to kind of look for my joy, and I have to be reminded of the trees that are out there to pick me up cuz they're I tend to be more serious and said there's so many things are just coming at me that kind of way on me and I have to just learn to let them go and and remember the basic truths it like this to Rejoice always don't let the babies off of my back and I'll carry them all around with me so that I am a little bit lighter in a little bit free or two so I can be more happy. So Rejoice always rejoice in the Lord verse Rejoice always second and this morning when to pick it up with the third point about rejoicing Rejoice for your salvation Rejoice for your salvation. Now, we know that and again nothing that I'm saying here is rocket science Journey if you want rocket science, just go talk to Ernie but no one of this is that this is really easy stuff as far as understanding goes but in practice Remembering it and where do you buy it? That's where it becomes tough. Even in this thing even in something so simple as being happy. Because there are so many things that can press in upon us because there are so many things that we we look to for our happiness that aren't always right there little off there. They're not foundational then they don't have to do with the Lord and so we find ourselves disappointed in down-hearted and discouraged. So we have to remember and remind ourselves rejoice in your salvation. Songs are full of expressions of Joy like this and here's one song chapter 13 verses 5 and 6. I have trusted in your mercy my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me. And then another verse Psalm 61 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God for he has clothed me with the garments of Salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments and as a bride adorned herself with her Jewels, that's why we are too especially after the Isaiah 61 passage. We are to put salvation winter wrap ourselves with the Salvation that he gives us so that we can Rejoice he uses the imagery of a bride groom and the Bride adornments As you know, we go to our wedding we go to the weddings, right and we see how the bride and the groom they're all dressed up and they're all you know, they dressed fancy dress fancy and and that the best that they can and we look at them in and where you know, we're pleased that the site of how they have taken the time to Adorn themselves in to make themselves beautiful in this happy time of marriage. And so that is kind of the picture that we are to take with us for our Salvation just as a bridegroom and a bride of doing so so we are to Adorn ourselves with the Salvation that God has given to us and then we do that it brings up Joy to our hearts and our minds it so we put it on and we can rejoice in Salvation spell I don't know about you. How many of you how many of you were saved after you grew up in other words. You didn't grow up in a in a as a child. You didn't grow up in a Christian home. You came to the Lord afterwards later in life. How many of you all right? It's not too many of us. I mean less than half but not too many of us and that's my case to I did not grow up in a Christian home as my fault. I was thinking this morning is just my brother did one of those DNA DNA tests not too long ago. Oh my goodness. My family has some surprises in it there somewhere and so just kind of thinking on that and I was reflecting on how it was when I was growing up. My mother would take my dad's mother to the Greek Orthodox Church. Where at where is my dad and his dad my grandfather? We're always taking us to the Cowboy Church to read the Greek Greek Orthodox and we have the Catholic and here I am going to Boston Church.

When I kind of ironic that how you know that it's just that it's just amazing and honestly, I mean for some reason my mother never took me to the Greek Orthodox church. I have no idea why I don't know. I don't understand the Dynamics but the gospel was never crate was never shared in the Greek Orthodox church. We never heard the gospel. I went to the Catholic church. And again just never heard of the gospel and and nobody ever share the gospel with us until we were in South Florida and we had a neighbor share the gospel with my mother, but just really interesting. So I got this whole range of things, but I can think back to when I was not saved and I can think back to how my family was and I am humbled that has brought me to this place. I brought salvation to my life. It was his doing it's literally moving us from across the world to this place for salvation. And so I think about that and because I can remember because I came to Christ after I was older I can remember. What it was like without him and I can see what he did to bring me to him. And and I'm just humbled by that and I'm thankful. I will only talk about rejoicing when there's really a close connection between rejoicing and giving praise and being thankful that those three they just kind of there their indistinguishable a lot of times because when I give praise is I'm I'm happy. And when I am thankful, I'm rejoicing and so on and so forth and so we can see what God has done for us and and praise him for our Salvation. Look there's nothing else in this life outside of your salvation that has the Eternal consequences and benefits it has for you for us, right because we are saved we will be in his presence forever. Forever what comes close to that? Nothing is so we have to remember when we figure out what we're going to be happy for and when the circumstances in life tend to drag us down. We have to have that automatic trigger in our minds.

Go reflect upon what Christ did for me on the cross? What he did for us on the cross every we reflect upon that I really consider the Sims that he has forgiven us for we can just fall down and give praise to him rejoicing that he has saved our souls and that we will be in his presence for forever. That is something to Rejoice on. Freedom Zechariah Chapter 3 verses 1 through 5. So turn your Bibles. There is Zechariah Chapter 3. It is one of the last books of the Old Testament their Zechariah Chapter 3. And there's this great story that just impacts me all the time. Zach Rio is a profit here and he's telling the story about Joshua who is a high priest.

Zechariah Chapter 3 Verses 1 through 5 is having this vision and this is what the Lord shows them in it and it is a vision about salvation. Then Joshua then he showed me Joshua the high-priest standing before the angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to Satan the Lord rebuke you Satan. The Lord has chosen Jerusalem rebuking is this not a brand plucked from the fire pointing to Joshua know Joshua was clothed with filthy garments in the standing before the angel been answered and spoke to those who stood before him saying take away the filthy garments of him from him and to him. He said see I have removed your iniquity from you and I will clothe you with Rich robes and I said let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head and they put the clothes on him and the angel of the Lord stood by this is a really powerful picture of Salvation Here Comes Joshua and he is the high priest if anybody is supposed to be righteous if anybody is supposed to be right with God it is someone like the high priest as a matter fact, they had this same view towards the Pharisees during Jesus name right during Jesus day if there is anybody around who was right with God and do what God wanted them to do was who The Pharisees so here is Joshua and if there's anybody who is supposed to be right with God, it is Joshua because he was the high priest and yet he is standing there before the angel of the Lord and He is dressed in filthy garments. And the filthy garments represent his sinfulness. Joshua is a sinful man through and through his clothes are dirty. Animal because of that who is standing right there next to him Satan and Satan was pointing the finger just like he does seem points. The finger at Josh many points to God. He says this is not worthy. This was not worthy That's what Satan does to us to heal Point his finger at us. When we remember the guilt of our sin any points the finger that's any excuse is us before God. We're not worthy. You see what a singer this person is. He can't be here before you is not worthy of your attention. God got to get rid of him That's what Satan does and so saying is pointing his finger at Joshua who's dressed in these filthy clothes and then the Lord does an amazing thing. the lord rebukes the devil Where would you give Satan?

In other words all of Satan's accusations from the appearance as as right as the accusation seems to be because Joshua is indeed standing there and filthy clothes, even though the accusation seems to be right the Lord rebukes Satan.

And then the Lord removes those filthy clothes and puts the clean clothes the pure clothes on him representing the forgiveness of sin and the closing Crumb from the sin and the right the new right standing that he has before God. That's what salvation is all about. We can work and we can work and we do work and we can fight but we cannot do enough to cleanse those dirty clothes from us, but we don't have to anymore because he went to the cross and on the cross. He bore our sins upon him. He took our sins from us he died and paid the penalty for those sins and he rose again from the dead. And now if we put our faith in him if we trust in him, he removes are soiled garments and he gives us these Robes of righteousness. And we are pure and clean before him and I can imagine. Can you imagine being Joshua standing there? I can just imagine just standing there in my filthy clothes and Satan right next to me just starting off all the accusations against me, and I know that they're all right, and I can do nothing but hang my head before the accusations, but then to have the Lord rebuke him and cleanse me.

Why can't I be happy about that? In all of my life and everything that I face and so rejoice in your salvation. The next thing that we are to Rejoice or how we're supposed to Rejoice were supposed to Rejoice from faith and love and this is this is maybe a little bit why we can't see it. It says I want to read this verse Psalms chapter 5 verse 11. Let all those who Rejoice let all those Rejoice who put their trust in you let them ever shout for Joy because you defended them, but those who love your name be. Joyful in you or Joy's use their three times. I Rejoice to do rejoice and Analysis to shout for joy shout for Joy not there's some of us were a little more, you know reserved than that and the idea of shouting is just kind of I'm not shouting, you know, we would kind of shy away from that but did you know that in just in the songs alone or over 15 verses that talk about shouting for Joy shouting for Joy now? We watch our favorite football team and we can shop and they do a good play. Every time Ben is watching the soccer game. We hear him shouting all through the house whenever his team scores a goal and then on the 1st, and then on the flip side when Christina and I are watching football, we make our own shouts at our team y'all just me, but Christina also I even got to tweeted or what is it sent out some text messages of some of the things that are coming out of my wife's name now when watching football

God has given us voices capable of shouting and we are to shout with joy.

Are those more like a I'm groaning I have coming up.

Where to shop for joy in the Lord for what? He has done for us three do like Yahoo, or hooray or something like that. You ready? I'm 3 1 2 3

Let's try to get one two three. What you doing? All right, we're getting their reserved kind of church that we have. It's okay to clap our hands. It's okay to lift our voices. It's okay to shout. It's okay to raise it is okay to do that for the Lord for what he has done for us it is okay to do that, but our ability to shout for Joy comes from trusting in Him from loving his name and those are spiritual things and that's why it is easier for us to shout about something that we see in front of us with our eyes then it is to shop for something that is a spiritual truth that our eyes are go to see how to say the closer we walk to the Lord and the more we grow in him the more his salvation becomes to us, but water will be able to be about it and I'll just in shouting at but in speaking of than sharing it with other people It's a way to Rejoice from faith. And love you. Say Pastor. I know I'm supposed to Rejoice, but I have a hard time doing it. I'm just so beaten up. And I can understand there are circumstances in my life that every time it takes place. I feel like I've been kicked in the gut and I have to all over again. I have to get up off of the ground and I have to claw my way back. I understand. What is Rapport faith in our trust in him as we love him as we learn who he is more than one he draw closer together. We will be able to rise up and to open a mask and to give praise to him and to rejoice in our hearts for what he has done for us. so Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord all you land Psalm 100 verse 1 the next Point are Rejoice no matter what Rejoice no matter what that is really important because there was nothing in this world that can dampen things that God has done for us, right everything in this world is temporary. What are God has done for us is eternal and if you think about it, they are not even in the ballpark with one another and yet we just kind of keep it all together. And I love this is a powerful verse here. And if you don't have this marked in your Bibles, you might want to Market. Here's another of the Minor Prophets. One of the another book towards the end of the Old Testament habakkuk chapter 3 verses 17 and 18 and look what it says here. And here's our Point Rejoice no matter what remember that right Rejoice no matter what though the Fig Tree. No blossom. Nor Foods beyond the vines the labor of the olive May Fail in the field yield. No food. Will the flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no hurt in the Stalls yet. I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the god of my salvation. What a powerful verse. I know it's not working out. I know it's not coming to pass like you want. I know that bad things are happening. I know that. All the bad things are happening in my life yet. I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the god of my salvation.

It's a no matter what happens to us here. As tough as it might be in his as easy as it as it is for these things to drag us down no matter what our joy we have to practice and turning our attention to the Lord and rejoice no matter what Rejoice no matter what? Our next point we're coming to the end here Rejoice completely Rejoice completely Zephaniah by we got a lot of a lot of lessons from the Minor Prophets this morning, right Zephaniah this time. Chapter 3 verse 14 sing Daughter of Zion shout or Israel be glad and rejoice and here it is with all your heart with all your heart. O daughter of Jerusalem. You know, we talked to other people and we come across others and sometimes some of the things that they stay share with us. We know that they just really don't mean it may be somebody's making an apology we can tell somebody sincere and I are right way we can tell if somebody really means what they say. We can tell we have this sense were talking to other people just the way that they say it in the way that they are carrying us as we know if they're sincere or not. And if anybody can tell whether or not we are sincere it is God. Take a look directly into the heart. He knows exactly what we're thinking. He knows exactly what's going on inside of us. He knows about it all even better to redo. And so the constant and exhortation it comes to us it is like this and Zephaniah be glad and rejoice with all of your heart.

Don't go rejoice in the Lord. I mean remember rejoicing is really close to thanking and praising him we rejoice and thanks and praise him you thanks and praise him. Edward versus to do it with all of our heart. He doesn't want half-hearted.

praise

he wants all of us. He wants us completely it wants wholehearted rejoicing in him. And so let us when we Rejoice let us rejoice completely. And in order to do that, we really have to lay our burdens down. We're really have to put to those things that bring sahrotaar hurts her or troubles are we really have to put them aside and then give ourselves completely on to him. He deserves that he is worthy of Our Praise. He's warming of our Glory. He was warning us to shout enjoy to him. He is worthy of that. Yeah, kind of putting this together with this last point because rejoicing like this is something we are looking forward to and so I last point this morning is rejoicing because of your hope because of your hope.

Truly as long as we are in this flesh. We will not be able to Rejoice like we ought to we will be hindered because of the weakness of this flesh to praise God and to Rejoice like we should and so we look forward to that day in which he will raise us up out of this Mortal body. We will be closed in a mortality and we will see him and be able to praise him as we are. Romans chapter 5 verses 1 through 5 therefore having been justified by faith. We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. You see that they're rejoice in the hope of the glory of God and not only that we also glory in tribulations. You see paulist is bringing this out to you. They were supposed to Rejoice always not just in the hook, but Rejoice nap. We also glory in tribulations knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance character and character. Hope I hope doesn't disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Who has who was given to us? But here it is. We have a hope. We have a hope that we can look forward to and we can rejoice in that. Hope our hope is the Eternal presence of God the glory his glory forever and ever surrounding us. That is our hope when we will leave this place and move on to his present and we can look forward to that and we can Rejoice any of those we rejoice in hope we can Rejoice now in our tribulations knowing that God is at work in our lives. And so here it is Rejoice Rejoice always this is the first exhortation from Philippians chapter 3 rejoice in the Lord. Let us put our joy in him and as we learn to rejoice in him, we will grow in our walk in our relationship with Lord and you know, there's something about joy that really is impactful to other people that are around There really is something about joy that is impactful to others. We are always blessed and encouraged when we come up to somebody special if you're feeling a little down and they are rejoicing and true. Joy that that there's something just refreshing about that. At the same time when we come up to somebody who is glum.

and down and that face our faces a hanging down at that's kind of depressing. It's discouraging right? We all know that That's a lettuce learn to rejoice in the Lord and let us use that Joy not only for our own benefit. But but for the blessing of those around us and for the glory of our heavenly father. Tell me five. We just thank you. We could come today. I think you that you put it on each of our hearts to be here to come together in your name in order to worship you together. Thank you that you've done that for us tonight. And I trust the Lord that you have moved in our hearts and that you have spoken to us. And so help us to put this simple truth about rejoicing in you. I was to put it into practice Lord help us to grow in that to grow in you and to serve you more effectively and powerfully as a result in Jesus name. Amen as we say I last song.