Rejoice in Justice! (18)

Rejoice

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always,

Romans 5:3-4 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice

No emotion is more welcomed into human life than that of Joy. Joy is the realization that deeply held hopes have been or shortly will be fulfilled. Joy is also the dawning of an understanding that those events which have been most feared will not occur. But if joy is always one of the sweeter sensations of life, especially exultant is that joy which is completely unexpected, or which breaks suddenly into the midst of our gloom. Our text this speaks of such joy, joy that arrives on the horizon in the midst of the chaos of life. Joy is the reward of obedience. This text comes at a time when people are struggling with JOY. This period of uncertainty, this sheltered in place, social distancing has caused a lot of stress. We now have protest demanding that things go back to normal. What they don’t realize is we cant go back to normal. What will be normal? Yet today We can follow the words of Zephaniah and Sing aloud, Shout, Rejoice and exult with all our hearts! So we have to rejoice. No matter what is going in our lives we have to find our joy and learn to rejoice! Its Verses 12 and 13 that lets me know that Gods has a plan. He will raise us a humble people that will seek refuge in the name of the Lord! Its the remnant that he leaves that will show the world what God is looking for. People who will not do injustice, will not lie or be deceitful and they will literally find their peace, strength and courage in the Lord.

So someone is saying that’s find pastor but I’m struggling to find my joy. The weight of the world is on me. I cant find my joy. What do i have to shout about. I need to remind you we have to shout even in our current situations even when they are not the optimal circumstances! What i found out is you have to make Jesus the center of your Joy if your really going to have joy!

Getting to that point of joy and being able to rejoice is a journey. You have to be purposeful on this journey because the enemy s constantly trying to interrupt or steal our joy!

I. THE JOURNEY OF JOY IS MARKED BY CELEBRATION (VV. 14)

A. Celebration is an imperative

1. Which must at all cost be obeyed or which cannot in any way be ignored, NECESSARY. This why Zephaniah in one verse uses 4 words that are associated with Celebration. Sing, Shout, Rejoice and Exalt!

Sing, who? God’s people;

Shout aloud, who? God’s chosen people;

Rejoice Who? The people of the promised land

Exult with your heart!

We are to express joy!

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

2  Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing! (Ps 100:1–2).

B. Celebration stands in contrast to the situations of life

1. Zephaniah has berated the people for almost three chapters.

2. Manasseh had occupied the throne for almost half a century with resulting decay in faithfulness and morality. Josiah would eventually set things straight, but that would take time. For the moment, faithful persons like Zephaniah could only lament the terrible realities of their world. SOUNDS LIKE US TODAY!

3. Those realities were so dreadful that the prophet concludes that God has no option but to destroy all creation. The Lord will invade the darkness of Judah’s heart like a person with lamps who searches out secret and hidden sins. The result will be a terrible day of judgment, a “bitter” day “of distress and anguish,” “of ruin and devastation,” “of darkness and gloom,” “of clouds and thick darkness,” and “of trumpet blast and battle cry!”

II. THE JOURNEY OF JOY IS MARKED BY God’s REIGN AS KING (VV. 14-15)

The LORD has taken away the judgments against you;

he has cleared away your enemies.

The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;

you shall never again fear evil.. (Zep 3:15).

A. The King/The Lord will unite the Kingdom

1. Zion, Israel, and Jerusalem. Zion is the City of God. Israel was the Northern Kingdom, with Samaria as the capital city. Judah was the southern kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital.

2. A King unites His Kingdom.

B. The King/The Lord will take away their punishment

1. God punished his people by sending them into exile at the hands of foreign kings and kingdoms.

2. He now takes away their enemy.

3. He takes away our enemy: death which comes as a result of sin.

4. Joy has been generated by the sense that a terrible price has now been paid for the sinfulness of the nation: The exile, the sending of God’s Son!

III. THE JOURNEY OF JOY IS MARKED BY THE LORD IS WITH US (VV. 16, 17) On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

“Fear not, O Zion;

let not your hands grow weak.

17  The LORD your God is in your midst,

a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zep 3:16–17).

A. The presence of God brings Joy

1. Our joy does not come from our circumstances.

2. It is rather, vested in the grace and benevolence of God.

3. The God who is Israel’s judge is also Israel’s lover and partner in covenant.

B. The presence of God removes fear

1. Perfect love cast out all fear (I Jn. 4:18-19) 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us.. (1 Jn 4:18–19).

2. When God is with us, no enemy can over take us.

3. The people are to replace their fear with confidence and strength.

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