Rejoicing Always B

Matter what is going on in this life. We know this is the one to whom we committed our life is going to keep it until eternity, that which I've committed on to him.

He will keep these as I rejoice I will rejoice and why simply want me to live is Christ guys very much with us. The world is unsettled in many ways people find themselves not only disappointed in the direction of politics but also disappointed in the culture as a whole.

But if you're Christian you are commanded to rejoice always, even when circumstances are bleak. The question is how does this rejoice always thing work. What does that sort of joy look like consider those questions today on grace to you as John MacArthur continues to study the Bible driven church and now here's John, why should I obey the command to always rejoice.

I got problems in my life I got difficulty things are going the way I want. I don't have the job I want.

I don't have the circumstances I want.

It's not all the way I like it. Why should I rejoice always reasonable one is an act of appreciation for the character of God as an act of appreciation for the character of God.

Second, another reason for rejoicing always is as an act of appreciation for the work of Christ not only as an act of appreciation for the character of God, but as an act of appreciation for the work of Christ. Thirdly, rejoice always, not only as an act of appreciation for the character of God and the work of Christ, but as an act of appreciation for the ministry of the spirit is an act of appreciation for the ministry of the spirit. Number four is an act of appreciation for spiritual blessings as an act of appreciation for spiritual blessings number five we are.

Rejoice always as an active appreciation for divine providence as God orchestrates everything for your good and eternal glory. God, the God was able to keep you from falling holds you fast. Number six, we ought have unceasing joy as an active appreciation for the promise of future glory is an active appreciation for the promise of future glory or if you want simple as an active appreciation for heaven matter what is going on in this life.

We know this, that the one to whom we committed our life is going to keep it until eternity.

He which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. That which I've committed on to him. He will keep the apostle Paul had it so well stated by the spirit of God when he was inspired to write about his own rejoicing pieces. I rejoice I will rejoice.

Why Paul simply for me to live is Christ, the die is what game if I live on the flash sign. If I go to glory better. I rejoice because of the hope of future glory. Why should you rejoice. What reason is an active appreciation for the character of God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit is an active appreciation for spiritual blessings, divine providence and the promise of future glory, me a few more right here. Number seven is an active appreciation for answered prayer is an active appreciation for answered prayer. You take it as a little thing. The Jesus said whatever you ask in my name all do it that a small thing is a small thing when Jesus promised the spirit. In John 16.

He promised the spirit and he said until now you have asked for nothing in my name, fast, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full. What a prayer promise I'll send my spirit and and when my spirit comes to dwell in you and causes you to cry, Abba, father, know this that when you ask, I will send what you asked that your joy may be made full.

You appreciate answered prayer. Do you appreciate the fact that when you cry out to God hears and answers your prayer shows you great and mighty things, which you may not know matter what's going on in your life. Unceasing joy is the fruit of one who appreciates answered prayer.

God doesn't have to do that he doesn't answer your every prayer according to his perfect will for your ultimate good.

In time, and your glory and eternity number eight. Another reason to rejoice unceasingly as an active appreciation for the Scripture is an active appreciation for the Scripture.

You are to be so grateful for the guide that you have in the word of God for its resources for its instructions on the matter what is taken away from you as long as you have the Scripture you have the most precious commodity is more to be desired in Grolier than much fine gold. It is sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb Psalm 19 says in Psalm 119. The psalmist writes in verse 14, I rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches I just rejoice in the word he saying in verse 111. I have inherited thy testimonies forever. They are the joy of my heart. Verse 162. I rejoice at thy word is one who finds great spoil. Jeremiah 1516, Jeremiah said, thy words were found. I did eat them.

Thy word was in me the joy and rejoicing of my heart. And when Paul says that the word of Christ dwell in you richly in Colossians 316, he says, is the word is richly in you, you will speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns, you'll saying you'll make melody. There should be joy out of the appreciation of the food in the nourishment of the word of God that feeds your soul and is a compass and a guide to your life to more number nine. You should rejoice always as an active appreciation for Christian fellowship is an active appreciation for Christian fellowship. Are you grateful for the wonderful family that God has given you in first Thessalonians 3 are very book verse nine. I love what Paul says what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account. While even the words to say how much joy there isn't.

Just knowing you just sharing with you just fellowship being with you the love of the saints source of joy and lastly number 10. Why rejoice as an active appreciation for gospel preaching Paul in Philippians 1 says Christ is preached, and I rejoice, I rejoice in acts 15. Perhaps even more focused on the point were making verse three therefore being sent on their way by the church. Paul and Barnabas were passing through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and were bringing great joy to all the brother and you get joy out of it or you mope around in yourself focused world and your little narcissistic navel watching cult sort of turned in on yourself and just because it isn't all well with you. You can't rejoice, even though many are hearing the gospel and repenting and believing and being converted.

That's an active appreciation for gospel preaching that leads to joy.

Should you rejoice always, absolutely. Why in appreciation of the character of God work of Christ, the ministry of the spirit active appreciation for supernatural blessings divine Providence future glory answered prayer. The Scripture Christian fellowship and gospel preaching. We share in the light of all that if I don't have joy. What, what's the problem what you have some hindrance the listen very carefully, go through these rapidly, but I want you to hear me.

There are number of hindrances number one if you're not experiencing joy. I want you to check this inventory number one false salvation, false salvation, there are some people who have no joy because they have no true source of it. They don't have the Holy Spirit, they are converted.

The art center in the church.

They're not saved.

You remember Matthew 1320 and 21 that the seed was sown in the soil that had the rock bed the rocky soil and it says that they received the word with joy but it was very short-lived. And the first time a trial came that was gone. There are some people who will muster up a human joy but it won't sustain itself where there is no indwelling Holy Spirit to sustain it on a supernatural level and so the first trial comes along just wipes it out. Supernatural joy comes from the spirit of God, who only indwells true believers false salvation. Cheap grace can't produce Christian joy. It produces a full substitute doesn't last. Second hindrance. Satan himself.

I believe Peter says it when he says, Satan goes around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. And there is a destruction there and that destruction is the destruction of joy and peace and contentment.

Satan wants to come at you and tempt you in your trials to steal your joy. That is why Paul says to the Corinthians. What there is no struggle, you're going to go through that is more than you can bear. But in the middle of that thing you know the set up the power of God is available but the difficulty comes because of the onslaught of the temptation of the enemy, Satan wants us to draw the hindrances to joy very simple false salvation which can't produce any true joy and Satan himself who will come after you in the temptation in the midst of your trial that comes after your joy. So, consider the source of your struggling at that point. Thirdly, third hindrances, ignorance, ignorance, listen to it simply as I can say it bad doctrine steals joy bad theology and inadequate grasp of God's sovereignty and grasp of Christ's perfect atonement and inadequate understanding of the security of the believer of failure to comprehend the ministry of the Holy Spirit. A failure to understand all spiritual blessings vouchsafed to us in Christ. Failure to comprehend the resource of prayer any kind of bad theology fails to recognize the reasons for joy and steals our joy is what John says when he writes his epistle, Milo children, these things I write unto you, that your joy may be what full on teaching you theology so you have a foundation for joy if you don't hundred if you don't believe in the character of God that is consistently gracious and merciful kind and compassionate toward his own. You got a problem because you may wonder why bad things are happening to you, and you may think God is doing it because he is inconsistent. If you don't believe God is sovereign and in control.

You may think things are happening to you because God can't help it that will take your joy if you don't understand your security in Christ hereunder worry every time something comes along that you lost your salvation, and that will rob your joy bad theology will steal your joy, ignorance, number four unbelief unbelief unbelief is simply the failure to believe what you know you cannot be ignorant, but you can be unbelieving, it follows the previous one to disbelieve the things that are true. It's one thing to be ignorant. You don't know what's true and something else not to believe what you know it's been said to be true. If you don't believe that you can't generate by God's power in your life and by yielding to that power the faith to believe and put up the shield of faith in all the fiery darts are going to hit you so if you if you don't believe in the security of the believer on your don't believe in God, sovereign, and providential control of everything and you don't believe that eternal glory is established and you don't believe that God will never let you be tempted above that you're able and you don't believe that all spiritual blessings are yours in Christ that you're able to do all things in him.

If you don't believe that even though you know it says that you have a problem. You lose your joy. That's called doubt. Doubt will destroy joy.

Five.

In gratitude, in gratitude, in gratitude.

This is the attitude that never has enough if you're an ungrateful person. You're going to experience a loss of joy. The person never has not always expects more always wants more, always demands more give me more matter what the Lord does it's never enough to matter what they have. It's never enough. The Lord gives them a job. It's not the right job, orgasmic partner for life is not the right one.

No matter what the Lord does. It is never enough. There's no reference there is no humility.

By the way in gratitude is the ugly child of pride in gratitude will kill your joy because you never have enough.

You don't want to thank God for every little thing he does for everything that he is given you. For every blessing you have. If you're always saying more more more more and you live in that utter discontent. It breeds in gratitude and it steals joy that leads to number six false expectations, false expectations. This is the aberration. By the way that Jesus has promised to make your life happy rich successful healthy and full of miracles.

But Jesus can do tricks upon tricks for you and deliver all kinds of fabulous rich things that sets up people for a loss of joy when Jesus doesn't deliver yes why that the prosperity gospel is so deadly because it gives people false expectations that their all to get heels healed of all their diseases. The Jesus will make him wealthy, that all these good things are going to happen. The never going to have problems.

Those false expectations will destroy your joy, because that is and how it's going to be folks Jesus had another plan. Here is his plan in this world you will have trouble. John 1633. You will have trouble. That's a promise that's brought you'll have trouble not well trouble, not prosperity, trouble not success. Trouble, but I have overcome the world. That's the source of your joy.

Paul learned that again in Philippians chapter 4 he knows that I rejoice in the Lord greatly. He says it's easy for me. I've learned to be content in whatever circumstance Amen I rejoice greatly whatever's going on.

If I'm wealthy or if I'm poor but if you have false expectations of what Jesus is supposed to deliver it will steal your joy number seven and this is the source of the last to his spinal pride, just pride, self-centeredness. If you're just centered on yourself, you're never going to be happy because you know something. Nothing is more miserable than just having to constantly be fooling with yourself. That's a miserable relationship, self-centeredness, morbid self-analysis self analytical baggage that makes you focus on yourself is deadly to joy. That's the major made one of the major faux pas's and current contemporary counseling, psychological victimization, and abuse therapy has people all turn inwardly and they start to look at themselves and get in touch with themselves and the use the phrase listen to yourself listen to yourself listen to yourself and what you're going to hear is a lot of baloney. What you're going to hear is deception because your heart is deceitful. What you're going to hear this unrealistic guilt that can accept forgiveness. What you're going to hear is hatred and bitterness toward somebody else in your blaming for your problem. When he takes up no healthy person listens to himself. Healthy people talk to themselves.

Healthy people talk to themselves they don't listen, they say sounds quiet. Here's what the Bible says get in line adjacent mouse.

That's that's true in life.

Wimpy people listen to themselves. Strong people talk to themselves, they discipline themselves. They pull self into line with truth, will be listening to yourself what you're going to hear of this mess you up. Listen to the word of God and then you talk to yourself. Pride. Pride will just be all that introspection that self-centeredness will just destroy your joy number eight forgetfulness, forgetfulness, bless the Lord, O my soul Psalm 1032 says and forget.

None of his benefits. Forgetfulness will steal your joy. One of the reasons that you you keep that memory bank. One of the reasons that God doesn't let you forget is not just so you can remember your times tables not so you can remember your phone numbers in your addresses one of the reasons God gave you a memory is so you can store up cataloging of all of his benediction to understand that and it's good for you to go back and recite them again and again and again. Read how the Old Testament psalmist does that over and over and over and over keeps reciting this catalog of blessing, which was a part of his own experience in redemptive history calls to remember calls to remember even Jesus to the church in Revelation, remember from where you are for Ephesus and go back and do it the way you did it in and knew the blessing of God. What is it that hinders joy. What steals it false salvation, Satan, ignorance, unbelief in gratitude, false expectations, pride, forgetfulness, number nine prayer listeners.

This is the attitude all trust in my own resources that only prayer I can figure it out. That'll take your joy when you fail continually.

Paul again in Philippians 4 says rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice.

How can I do that Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made see the source of his joy was so will steal your joy, prayer, blessedness, trusting your own ingenuity, your own resources and one last one listen very carefully.

This is the climax in the conclusion feelings. Feelings will steal your joy emotions. This is a major issue that hinders joy get victimized by emotion. This is a major problem, people lack the discipline to operate their life on an understanding of divine truth, and thus they plunge into the random undisciplined sea of emotion and what they do is they say well how can we rejoice when we don't feel like it easy for them.

Joy is a feeling on top of the feeling and if you have this feeling that you can have another feeling called joy.

They say how can we control our feelings. After all, your feelings are not controllable, that's a lie right out of the pit, we must control our feelings, the idea of the philosophy of today.

If it feels good do it at that. We don't buy into that truly if we did we have a core suite we would buy into it enough to have an escalating criminal society because were telling people do whatever they feel like doing and so they do what they feel like doing and then we have to close down on how can we control our emotions. How can we not be controlled by our feelings when we give you some simple things to recognize first of all recognize that God created us as rational beings and our feelings are to be controlled by reason your emotion is to be a responder to your mind to reason. We can all give into our feelings we have absolute chaos there wouldn't be any human relationship that would survive every person did exactly what he felt like doing it said exactly what he felt like saying would be the end of the society we know is humanity can't be led by your feelings that can govern your life so sooner or later your feelings under control and what controls your feelings is what you know to be true, and then were back to laying down the foundation of all those reasons to rejoice right in the character of God, the work of Christ, the ministry, the spirit and all that they provide you got to discipline yourself so that you live not on your feelings but on truths and off the truths springs the true joy, the joyful Christian thinks more of his Lord that he does his personal difficulties. The joyful Christian thinks more of his spiritual riches in Christ and his poverty on earth.

The joyful Christian thinks more of his glorious eternal future than his present pain.

And when you live like that the command rejoice always becomes possible not only possible desire. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. John's current study from first Thessalonians 5 is titled, the Bible driven church. John, when you look at the trends in churches today in so many churches that are full of false doctrine. Everything from false doctrine to false methodologies. There's a lot that doesn't honor the truth of Scripture a lot to be discouraged about. And yet the command you talk about today is rejoice always so let me ask you with all the areas that you might be discouraged by what you see that's happening in the church today that is encouraging that causes you to rejoice. You know you know me well enough villain and I know you feel the same way that we are warriors. I don't like the fact that people are unfaithful in the ministry.

I don't like the fact that they they prostitute the church into something it never should be.

It burdens me.

It grieves me the way I did. The apostle Paul when he wrote letters to churches and call them out for their their sins and the church has its corruptions and it has its as you said false teachers and false doctrine and those things tear at my heart.

I don't like those things I II want to correct the church. I want to straighten out the church. I want to make it right. But at the same time. I guess that the interesting back story to that is never for a moment. Even in all those battles and we been through some serious battles just in 2020 against false teaching and false direction in the church that soon been disastrous. But in the midst of all of that there is never any sense that this church will fail, or any loss of joy. It may seem odd to people that you can be fighting a battle for the truth. At the same time completely full of joy and the reason that I can do that is because I go back to what Jesus said. He said I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

Paul put it this way in second Corinthians. We always triumph in Christ. Christ wins in Christ purpose wins Jesus in John six says all that the father gives to me will come to me and I will lose none but raise them at the last day the church will triumph. Christ will build his church and he builds it through the faithful preaching of the faithful ministers and pastors and he also builds it by sound doctrine which means you have to battle against error and proclaim truth, but at the same time when it's all said and done, he would build his church and all the elect will be gathered into glory so I can fight with all my might, I can take on all the issues that are and what we would believe to be defections from the truth and even in the middle of that battle which is deeply concerning there's a settled confident joy that the Lord is going to use these efforts to build his church. In the end and we rest in that.

Yes we do. Rest in that. Thank you, John, and friend. If you share our passion for God's truth. If these broadcasts have helped you dig deep into Scripture. Would you let us know we want to hear how God is using grace to you in your life, drop us a note today.

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