1 Thessilonians 5:16 Rejoice always

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians

Sunday May 22, 2022

Rejoicing Always

Be joyful (v. 16). Joy takes the burden out of service. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10). God loves a cheerful servant as well as a cheerful giver. Every church family has its Doubting Thomas or its Gloomy Gus. To see them and listen to them is like witnessing an autopsy, or diving into a cold lake on a winter’s day. God wants His family to be happy, and that means that each member must contribute to the joy.

The four spiritual characteristics Paul mentioned are part of the fruit of the Spirit named in Galatians 5:22—love (1 Thes. 5:13), joy (1 Thes. 5:16), peace (1 Thes. 5:13), and long-suffering (1 Thes. 5:14). We cannot manufacture these spiritual qualities; they only come as we yield to the Spirit and permit Him to control us.

Family partnership is vital to the health and growth of the church. Are you bearing your share of the burdens, or are you merely a spectator who watches the others do the job?[1]

this is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

The title of this message is “Rejoicing Always”

Hymn: And Can It be

Prayer

The shortest verse in the bible is not, “Jesus wept.” In the Greek it is actually three words as there is usually a definite article before a personal name so “The Jesus wept,” would be the Greek version.

“Rejoice Always,” is then the shortest verse in the bible

1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NASB95) — 16 Rejoice always;

16 Πάντοτε χαίρετε, (pantote chairete)

Rejoice Always

Present active imperative

χαίρω [chairo /khah·ee·ro/] v.

25.125 χαίρωa: to enjoy a state of happiness and well-being—‘to rejoice, to be glad.’ χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ‘I rejoice as I suffer for you’ Col 1:24; ὡς λυπούμενοι ἀεὶ δὲ χαίροντες ‘although saddened, we are always rejoicing’ 2 Cor 6:10.

This is the Present active imperative. The imperative is a command. It is what we are to do. And we are to be actively engaged in this rejoicing.

But is it possible to be in a continual act of rejoicing? Especially when brought to the Lowest of circumstances? Especially in the world which we are currently living in? Especially when we are living in body of sinful corruption.

The Lord does not give a command in that he does not first prepare a way in order that one could comply with the Sovereign dictate of God.

Point of Doctrine: God does not give a commandment that is impossible to obey.

There is every asset at the Saint’s disposal to comply with the mandate to rejoice.

Even in tears, and through tragedy the commandment is to be obeyed.

Colossians 1:24 (NASB95) Grady — 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

67.88 πάντοτε; ἑκάστοτε: duration of time, with reference to a series of occasions—‘always, at all times, on every occasion.’

But you may say, “ it is impossible!”

Allow then God work his miracle in you, as you abide and trust in Him.

Some mandates are not accomplished by our direct act. Especially the ones which frustrate us, in our apparent inability to follow.

Rejoicing comes as a product of a stabilized spiritual life, in union with the Lord.

We are in obedience to following the command to rejoice when we are walking in the spirit of God.

In the Spirit (pneuma) being filled with the spirit. Is residence in our own garden. A spiritual garden where we are being cleansed by his word, walking in obedience, In occupation with the person of the Lord. It is the light that John speaks of when he says that we are to walk in the Light as He is in the light.

Galatians 5:16 (NASB95) Gunner— 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

There is the continual battle that is raged in the soul as the Carnal nature seeks to override the Holy Spirit which indwells each of us.

There is the age-old story of the missionary who was speaking to an Indian Chief about this fact. The missionary told the chief that “within every believer there are two dogs. A white one and a black one and both are fighting for the territory.”

The Indian asks

“Who wins?”

The missionary answers

The one you feed the most.

Training in Righteousness, which is the purpose of bible study, helps us to secure that place within our hearts where we are residing in our own gardens in harmony and at rest with our creator.

It is impossible to consider that in the garden where there was perfect harmony with God with one another within the world that there would be any reason to not be in Joy.

There is also the description of the eternal state, here too it is impossible to consider any reason to find doom and gloom.

Revelation 22:1–5 (NASB95) Mike— 1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

But in both cases as we are in Christ there is the looking behind and remembering through the blessed record of the relationship with the alpha and the personal sense of destiny with the Omega and knowing right now that with the spiritual life there is our own spiritual garden that we can right now experience the peace and the rest in the Lord and experience his joy even in the most trying of times.

Paul writes

2 Corinthians 6:9–10 (NASB95)Amanda — 9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.

As we abide in our gardens then we can bear fruit which comes with the fulfillment of the mandate to Rejoice continually.

Galatians 5:22 (NASB95)Gunner — 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

In the Movie “Greater” about Brandon Bullsworth, the successful walk on at the University of Arizona, who died in a Car accident after being accepted by the Indianapolis Colts, the movie portrayed a family that was struck with the news of his death. The unbelieving brother was bitter and angry with God for taking his brother. Meanwhile, the mother, when hit with the news, broke down initially, of course. But yet she became a testimony in her countenance and confidence of the place where her Brandon resided now. there was composure and even testimony of hope in the Lord and Joyfulness of the truth that superseded the pain.

I have witnessed this at every memorial that I have attended. And by it I can almost pick out the believers and unbelievers.

Paul is writing to the Thessalonian Church. The early church as it is today under the attack of Satan. Even in the early church the efforts were focused and intense to snuff out any remembrance of Christ. there was much that the early church could be emotionally crushed, but Paul says Rejoice for there is much in the Lord to rejoice about.

Point of Doctrine: the Joy of the Christian is not centered upon circumstances of this world but the position of being in the Christ and in the family of God.

Paul writes to another Church where if by chance your own ability is being hindered by the news of the world then maybe we should pay attention to these words.

Philippians 4:4–9 (NASB95) MIke — 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Tip: 1 hour in the bible per week does not negate all the many more hours of listening to negative press, False teachers, and the doctrine of demons.

What is counselling your soul?

Are you busy listening to the shrewd serpent as his voice is being carried over the media, internet, entertainment, in the education systems and even in Churches where false teachers have been elevated to, to teach itchy ears?

And you ask the question, considering the impossibility of the task before us.

“How can anyone rejoice always?”

“How can any rejoice in the times like these?”

Is it so impossible, or is it just that you are building your own wall between you and God’s joy using the stumbling blocks that you yourself allowed to be thrown down?

The Bible says “rejoice always”

The News media which is governed by the serpent gives you every reason to be discouraged.

God wants you to be happy on the basis of what you already have in the Lord.

This is why one can lose all, and still have the joy of possessing everything in the Lord.

If the impossibility of Rejoicing always seems to be out of your grasp, then you might want to check your situational awareness and answer the question

“Where am I in my walk with the Lord?”

There is no rejoicing outside of the boundaries of the joyful experience of walking continually and in occupation with the person of the Lord.

It is that we were standing one side of a veil that used to separate us from the presence of the Lord.

God used to be a Mystery to all but the priests.

There used to be a veil that hung between the holy place and the most place where there was the presence of the Shekinah Glory.

There used to be standing before each of us and God, a chasm which made it impossible to approach God in worship.

We were all at one time lost in our sins and transgressions and our future destiny was only the eternal lake of fire.

But those who believe have been set free from those chains that bind us. The prison door has been opened and on the outside of that door is not the executioner who is going to lead us to our deaths, but our redeemer who has bought our freedom.

And though that might have been enough, this same gracious Savior who is the King as adorned us with a royal robe which is his righteousness. He has adopted us into his family. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places.

We are his heir. we share his sonship. we share in his reward. We are children of God. we are his Royal.

Our eyes have not seen nor has our ears have yet heard all that the Lord has prepared for each of us in the eternal future.

It is not the impossibility of rejoicing always that is striking.

What is hard to believe is that after all we have been blessed with, with all that the Lord is doing presently in our lives, and with all he is going to do for us in the future, and the knowledge of living with the Lord forever in that blessed state…

How can we not be in a continual state of rejoicing?

[1]Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, pp. 188–189). Victor Books.