Rejoice! I. Introduction A. Acts 8:26-39 1. Eunuch converted 2. Went on his way rejoicing B. 1 Peter 1:3-9 1. Christians "rejoiced" at their deliverance 2. Despite trial and persecution C. Galatians 5:22 1. "Joy" listed as manifestation of fruit of the Spirit D. 1 Thessalonians 5:16, Philippians 4:4 1. Paul commands Christians to rejoice always 2. Feels compelled to repeat the command! E. These Scriptures, among others, make it quite clear that joy and rejoicing are to be part of the life of a Christian F. But why are we to rejoice? G. Why does God feel the need to command us to rejoice? H. Let us spend some time looking at our need to rejoice today II. The Need to Rejoice A. Why, then, should we rejoice? B. We rejoice out of gratitude for what God has already done 1. Such was the attitude of the eunuch in Acts 8:39 2. We have been delivered from darkness (Colossians 1:13) 3. We have been transferred into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son, whom He was willing to sacrifice that we may have forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13, John 3:16, Matthew 26:29) 4. We have the creation to supply our needs (Genesis 1) C. We rejoice out of gratitude for what God is doing 1. We have association with the Father and the Son (1 John 1:3-7) 2. We have the benefits of the association of fellow Christians (Hebrews 10:24-25, 1 John 1:5-7) 3. We have a Mediator who sympathizes with us (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 4:15-16) 4. We can have boldness to approach the Father in prayer (Hebrews 10:19-22, 1 Peter 3:12) 5. He who is for us is stronger than those who are against us (1 John 4:4) 6. We continue in hope (Romans 12:12) D. We rejoice out of gratitude for what God has promised 1. We have eternal life promised if we obey Him (John 3:16) 2. This salvation is reserved for us in Heaven (1 Peter 1:3-7) 3. This will be a place of joy, peace, and exaltation (Philippians 2:5-11, Revelation 7:16-17) 4. God cares for us and will preserve us if we remain obedient (1 Peter 5:7, Romans 8:31-39) E. Our joy, therefore, is based in the wonderful things that God has done, is doing, and will do for us F. This joy ought to be natural 1. After all, are we of all people not most blessed? 2. Has not God given us every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)? 3. Do we not have the salvation that is more valuable than anything else in the world (Matthew 13:45-46, Matthew 16:25-28)? 4. It should be our natural reaction, therefore, to be happy people! III. The Need for the Command A. If rejoicing were so natural, however, why does God feel the need to command it? 1. Indeed, why does Paul feel the need to repeat the command in Philippians 4:4? 2. Shouldn't joy be automatic? B. We know from life, however, that oftentimes Christians can become discouraged 1. They may not feel as if they're doing that well in their spiritual walk 2. They may have endured suffering or persecution 3. Brethren or others may have discouraged them 4. They may just be weak C. For whatever reason, Christians are often not the happy people they ought to be! D. Hence the need for the command: we must decide to be happy! E. We cannot control life's circumstances: but we can control how we react to life's circumstances! 1. What will our attitude be when things do not look so good? 2. Consider Acts 5:41, Acts 16:25, 2 Corinthians 6:10, and 1 Peter 1:3-9 3. Christians can, even in dire or difficult circumstances, be joyful and happy! F. Remember Romans 8:31-39 1. Great comfort: no external force can separate us from the love of God! 2. We are the only ones that can do that 3. There is no thing you can experience that is so negative that you cannot maintain the joy of being a Christian and one of the saved 4. There is no trial or temptation so great that it entirely obscures Heaven from us 5. We simply need to choose to be positive! G. We can choose, therefore, to be positive or negative 1. Importance of Philippians 4:8 2. Where our mind is, there will our attitude be also! 3. There is plenty of negativity always around us 4. Anyone can be a downer! 5. Let us instead strive to build up in joy! G. An attitude of joy and rejoicing, therefore, is not automatic: it must be trained, desired, and worked for! H. What will our choice be? IV. Conclusion A. We have seen that we have every reason to rejoice in Christ Jesus! B. We should indeed be happy people C. Maybe not everything works out as we would like, but even in the worst of times, we can know that God is on our side and we can have joy in that D. We choose, however, whether we will be joyful or negative E. Let us rejoice today! F. Invitation/songbook Scripture, Meditation, and Application 1: And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:39). The Ethiopian eunuch heard the Gospel, or good news, of Jesus. In it he found salvation from sin and victory over death. After he was baptized he rejoiced in Jesus and in his salvation. The Gospel should be a source of joy for us; let us rejoice in it! 2: Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice (Philippians 4:4). Paul writes to Christians who are mature in the Gospel and still tells them to rejoice. Salvation should seem no less sweet as the years go by. Do we still rejoice in our salvation as we did when we first heard the Gospel? 3: Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Paul frequently commands Christians to rejoice. If it must be commanded it most likely does not come naturally, and so it is with joy. Our joy is not rooted in a feeling as much as in a disposition toward God for what He has done for us. Let us rejoice always in the Lord Jesus! 4: Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials (1 Peter 1:6). In the midst of trial the Apostles encourage Christians to rejoice. Christians are not being told to enjoy suffering; instead, by remembering what God has done for us in Christ, by rejoicing we keep that suffering in its proper context. Let us rejoice in Christ despite trial and prove faithful to the end!