Rejoice Ever More - Gerold Birky

Good morning, greetings in Jesus name, and welcome here. It's it's a

privilege we have of open public worship services. And for those of you who

those of you who spend at least part of your time working outside, you're

probably especially glad to see this weather happening on a day when you can be

inside. I've been rather rather impressed with the with the with the service today,

the the various, the various parts of it. Derek's devotional thoughts gave

me a little bit of a start because because it was actually I have I

have a fair amount on the same subject. Was rather interesting, and it

was rather interesting to me that while it was the same, while it's the

same subject, almost nothing that he shared about joy was what I was going

to share about joy. So I guess that would would say indicate that that

subject is rather broad. So this morning I would what I have to what

I have to share, what I have to give. It's kind of a

compilation of some of my thoughts over the last several weeks. So two well,

and I you might say, I have I have two texts this morning,

both from first Thessalonians five. Two texts two versus grand a total of

five words. One of the one of those verses being verse sixteen, rejoice

ever more. But before we go in and get into that subject of rejoicing,

and there's a there's another verse just a few verses after that that is

more of a directive. And I guess I would have started thinking about this

probably. I guess it would be two weeks ago, three weeks ago at

our at the Ordination services here brother Paul's there stood stood right here read that

verse in in as part of a sermon talking about you know, I guess,

qualifications for a minister. It was a minister ordination talking about that.

I don't know if you remember what he said. He gave up. He

he hit this verse. He hit it rather hard, and he hit it

rather fast. I think he gave about two sentences, yeah, kind of

two kind of a two sentence explanation, despise not prophesyings. And I think

he said something like this. Not sure if that's talking to the guy that's

doing the prophesying or the guy that's accepted the hearing, but that's what it

says. And then Paul moved on. Well, my mind didn't move on

quite that fast. I decided I should look at that a little more,

maybe maybe to be maybe to be honest, Mike say, I was got

my footstepped on a little bit. It's like, well, really is that

do I enjoy? Do I enjoy preaching? I don't think I despise it?

Do I enjoy it? Well? I don't know. I prefer to

not. So anyway, I started looking at it a little bit, a

little bit more, and I was. I was impressed when when when digging

into that kind of how my how my thoughts moved from that morphing into rejoice.

And and this this little chapter in First Thessalonians, these this this row

I call them the row of one liners are interesting because they're directives. Well,

I also like like the nuances of language and the English language. And

and Derek stood up here and talked about joy as a noun, as a

thing. This little verse in First Thessalonians that says rejoice evermore, that's that's

a verb conjugation. And it's the imperative tense. Actually, it's it's telling

you to do something, as is this this other verse despise not prophesying,

the prophesyings. It's pluralized for some reason. Got a little, tiny little

bit of an article here, I'm going to read. It's from from the

Barnes Notes, written written in the early eighteen hundred, so the English is

a little bit stilted at places here. But I guess that would be a

commentary. I enjoy reading reading this writer writer's comments. And I also I

kind of I opened it, opened it up on my so on my laptop

computer screen, and you know, it's a how would he explain a three

word verse? He ought to get that done in a sentence or two in

a while, it didn't fit on the screen, and it went on to

the next page. I'll read something. I'll read part of that. He

he's saying, well, prophesying exactly what that is? First Corinthians talks more

about that, But the reference here seems to be, I'll just read this

seems to be to preaching. They were not to undervalue it in comparison with

other things. It is possible that in thessal Naika, as appears to have

been the case. Subsequently, in corinth there were those who regarded the power

of working miracles or of speaking in unknown tongues as a much more eminent endowment

than that of stating the truths of religion in language easily understood. It would

not be unnatural that the comparisons should be made between these two classes of endowments,

much to the disadvantage of the latter, and hence may have arisen this

solemn caution not to disregard or despise the ability to make known divine truth in

intelligible language. A similar council may not be inapplicable to us now. In

the eighteen hundreds, the office of setting forth the truth of God is to

be the permanent office in the church. That of speaking foreign languages by miraculous

endowment was to be temporary. But the office of addressing mankind on the great

duties of religion and of publishing salvation is to be God's great ordinance for converting

the world. It should not be despised, and no man commends his own

wisdom who condemns it? When you give lists four reasons. One, it's

God's appointment by which he is designated for saving people. Two, it has

too much to entitle it, to respect, to make it proper, to

despise or condemn it. He's talking about preaching. There's nothing else that has

so much power over mankind as the preaching of the Gospel. There is no

other institution of heaven or earth among people that is destined to exert so wide

and permanent an influence as the Christian ministry. Number three is. It is

an influence that is wholly good. No man has made the poorer, or

the less respectable, or more miserable in life or in death by following the

councils of a minister of Christ when he makes known the Gospel. And point

number four, he who despises it, or he who despises preaching, condemns

that which is designed to promote his own welfare, and which is indispensable for

his salvation. It remains yet to be shown that any man has promoted his

own happiness or the welfare of his family by affecting to treat with contempt instructions

of the Christian ministry, This, this item, this this issue of preaching.

And I was again half of you folks here missed the missed the adult

Sunday school discussion, talking there the Jude's Letter, and and earnestly contending for

for the faith work at work, at maintaining faith, salvation and those things.

Preaching was a part of that preaching was was was part of the equation

despise not prophesying. That verse we don't we don't use the word prophesying.

Why why why that word? Another another writer I was, I did a

little bit of reading on that subject. Mhm. Why why that word may

have been used here as opposed to teacher? Well, especially in the early

church time, the in the from from a from a Jewish perspective, they

had teachers of the law. They were lawyers, they were, they were

scribes, they were they were accustomed to someone taking a manuscript and data and

pages and telling you what to do. That was the law. They knew

all about that. Teachers followed manuscripts and logic, the apostles talking about what

Christ had done. They were speaking from experience and or revelation, and they

moved into that. And I noted that in Jude Gary, I didn't comment

on this then I was thinking about it though, praying in the Holy Ghost.

What was? What was? What's that about? Jude? He tossed

that that statement there into there. But I think that that's actually part of

why there this is called prophesying, because there was there was a certain amount

of preaching of the gospel that was happening the epistols. We find that people

writing and teaching not necessarily from data and from manuscripts, but met rather from

revelation, experience, and then what what they experienced, what what was revealed

to them by the Holy Ghost. There's also another part of another way that

preaching the message of salvation and preaching intersects with prophecy, is what I'll call

the forward look. Think about John the Baptist. This was before before Christ

showed up. Christ was around, but wasn't wasn't in the public eye.

John the Baptist preaching repentance. He said, repent for the Kingdom of Heaven

is at hand. In the words, he was saying, do something now

because of what's because of what's coming, because of what's in the future.

On through the New Testament, there's actually a fair amount of preaching, fair

amount of Christian teaching and preaching has a prophetic element to it. Why the

reason I use the word prophetic there is because it's talking about the future.

We believe that Christ will return to earth, So that's us believing. You're

believing a prophecy, something that's foretold about the future. Second Peter three verses

ten to fourteen. Just he wrote this in a letter, Call this preaching,

call this prophecy. However you like, He says this, But the

day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which

the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt

with fervent heat. The earth also in the works that are therein shall be

burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved. What manner

of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for

and hastening under the coming of the Day of God, where in the heavens

being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent

heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for a new

heaven, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwell with righteousness.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent,

that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot and blameless,

Jesus said. Jesus used terms like take up your cross daily, follow

me someone else. In the New test someone wrote, I die daily,

Jesus. Jesus projected Jesus made this statement into the to his disciples talking about

the future, and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.

But he that didn't doure us to the end, she'll be saved.

We could We could look at Hebrews eleven as well. There's a whole there's

a whole row of people there. These all died in faith. Yeah,

they were strangers and pilgrims. They that say such things declare plainly that they

seek a country. I had that scrap of that verse written down. There's

a side of the Christian life. There's a side of Christianity. There's a

side of it that it's it's very real, it's for today, it's how

we live now. But another side of it is it is it is all

pointed to the future. How do we live? We preach one thing,

but I guess the reality is the reality is that that public preaching me standing

me standing here and talking me standing here and talking about salvation. If salvation

is the subject, me pointing you to to to God, causing you to

think about God. The reality is we have we have the words spoken,

and then we all and that and then that's a witness we can call that

a witness of a witness of God's spirit teaching. But then there's even a

bigger witness, and that is the life lived. And that's what I'd like

you to That's as I was looking at this passage in First Thessalonians. In

a way, there's some directive there to to prophecy, to teaching, to

the presentation of God's word, gospel truth, and then there's the living it

out, and that's what that's what most of the rest of that chapter is

about in First Thessalonians. And so moving to that to that verse in the

little short verse verse sixteen, rejoice evermore for the for the balance of the

time allotted to me here another fifteen minutes. I would like to take your

take your mind with me on a trip kind of through through the Bible and

look at this subject of rejoicing. Now, Derek painted a picture of of

the salvation Christ, the Christmas, the holiday season. We think about it.

You know, this is the song joy to the world, and there

is that joy. Joy is a noun, but that this term comes to

my mind, and that is a joyous Christian life. What is that a

Christian life without joy would be what can you separate the two anyway? This

term rejoice, Well, just to give you an idea of of where we're

going, I'm gonna look at answer try to answer the question when should we

rejoice? Notable by what's some Bible instances of rejoicing. Rejoicing is prophesied,

Rejoicing is the result of what what makes God rejoice? Did you know that

more than one part of your body is supposed to rejoice? There's also some

commands to rejoice. Then there's a specific in Romans rejoice, Ye, gentiles,

you can't hardly dodge that one. But the word the But the term

rejoice, which is an imperative and instruct in an instructive type word, is

found two hundred and ten times in the Bible. On this. I didn't

put much much effort or research into that. I mean that was just a

quick rejoice showed up this many times, rejoicing twenty eight times, rejoiced fifty

times, rejoice at eighteen times. So in a week. So, so

as you sit here, you're spending about two hours in this building. One

hundred and twenty minutes of your week are spent here. And it's not hard

to take to take control of one's emotions or thoughts and to and to move

them to positive to think about what God has done or is doing or is

able to do for me. That's that's, that's fairly easy. We just

understand that two hours is somewhere around one percent of your week. So if

you look in the rear view mirror at the past week, the ninety nine

percent of the past week that you spent not in this building, did you

fulfill your duty? Philippians four, verse four says rejoice in the Lord alway.

And again I say rejoice this, rejoice ever more. This is another

one in Thessalonians. But what do we mean? What do I mean?

What? What? What comes up in your mind? When that, when

that, when that directive hits your hits your ears? Well. Webster Dictionary

definition to be happy, to be glad, to be delighted, to be

full of joy. Thought i'd written, thought I had written. Found another

definition, But I don't know where I put that one down. I may

find it, and may find it later. To feel joy, to experience

gladness in a high degree, to have pleasurable satisfaction. That one I thought

probably fits about as well. When we're thinking about about Christian joy, pleasurable

satisfaction, to be delighted, birthday parties, you think about think about the

human experience on a broader sense. Yes, there's hard things in life.

Yes, there's difficulty, and we have to work, and we have to

work even if your back hurts, so your leg doesn't work. And there

there's there are distasteful there are distasteful parts of life. But we can't We

can't if we focus our entire thoughts on that. We don't, we don't

do well. Children in joice. I think birth parties they're happy they made

it to three years old. Parents get all excited about a child that walked

two steps and then they fell flat on their face. But it's cause for

rejoicing. It's looking to the future. I've heard I've given this here before.

I've heard grown men rejoicing about getting a fish in their boat. In

fact, one time on the Sayous Law campon Brian and I were in a

boat. We couldn't see the other boat. It was dark, foggy whatever

it was, but guideboat in the fog they were rejoicing. There was a

lot of noise. They got a fish in their boat. But what do

we as Christians have to rejoice about James two thirteen. Just to twist your

mind in another direction, there's another way of defining rejoicing. James two thirteen

says this, for he shall have judgment without mercy. That hath showed no

mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. That's a little bit different. That's

a little different twist on that, but one one of mercy and judgment,

one rejoicing over the other. One. Rejoicing kind of gives you the gives

you the mental image of one having the upper hand. G. K.

Chester Chesterton quote quote I found. He says this that joy is the gigantic

secret of the Christian And I suppose he's referring to Christianity as opposed to other

large religions or for sure non Christians people who have rejected God. They live

a life with with some enjoyment, yes, but not with true joy.

So when when should we rejoice? And I'm not going to I used the

copy paste methods, so I'm not going to be turning to all these verses.

I printed quite a few of them here. Psalm one, eighteen twenty

four. This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoice and

be glad in It tells you when today would be a good day to rejoice,

to have this, to have this attitude or state of mind or feeling

Psalm thirty one. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy, for

thou hast considered my trouble, thou hast known my soul in adversities. And

then if you think in the Old Testament, let your mind run through some

of those First Samuel sixteen thirteen. There's a story there of the arc returning

it had been taken. Wheat harvesters rejoiced, and they of Beth Shemish were

reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, lifted up, excuse me, and

they lifted up their eyes and saw the arc and rejoiced to see it.

People in a people in a condition, people in a state were a condition

they didn't really want to be in. They were they were God's people.

They had they had a place where the ark was supposed to be, and

it had been taken. So sometime later it's coming back. Their world,

their world, their their their their worship of Jehovah was getting put back together

the way it was supposed to be, and it was cause for rejoicing.

When Solomon was anointed, they blew the trumpet, people said God save King

Solomon, and all the people came up after him, and the people piped

with pipes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the

sound of them. It's an interesting word picture there, the earth rent with

the sound. I'm not sure whether that's referring to an echo or actual damage

done. But a time of you might call that unrestrained rejoicing at a covenant.

They made a covenant second Chronicles fifteen to fifteen, and all Judah rejoiced

at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and saw him

with their whole desire, and he was found of them, and the Lord

gave them rest. Round about picture there of a nation, A group of

people committed themselves. They swore with all their heart, they saw him with

their whole desire, and they were happy about it. They rejoiced nehemiah dedication

to the wall. There was a bunch of singing and shouting and rejoicing there

that one said. Their wives and the children also rejoice. So not just

not just the men morte qui. Well, it says, the whole city

there got happy, and in the story of Esther, the Jews a happy

city. Another one that was a little bit more of a head scratcher.

First Samuel two, verse one, Hannah, Hannah prayed. Hannah prayed this

prayer after dropping off a six year old at the temple or approximately, I'm

not sure what age. Samuels and Hannah prayed and said, my heart rejoiceth

in the Lord. My horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth has

enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in thy salvation. And this was

in the context of her of her leaving her leaving her prayed for miracle son

rejoicing propheside, the clock's getting away from me in that day. The meek

also, she'll increase their joy in the Lord. The poor among men shall

rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. These are prophetic words stating stating that

you slash, I will rejoice because of salvation. That's that's exactly what what

Derek was highlighting this morning, that salvation as as as a noun as a

thing. What is rejoicing a result of the result of well proverbs, there's

a number of the number of one liners and proverbs that I was impressed with.

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth. When the

wicked perish, there is shouting. Why the difference, wicked tend to operate

selfishly When the righteous are in control of the city more equity, They're probably

following God's God's ways, God's plan again Proverbs twenty nine to two. When

the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice, but when the wicked bear

with rule, the people mourn. Rejoicing is the result of revival, people

made alive in God again Psalms eighty five six. Wilt thou not revive us

again that thy people may rejoice in thee Show us thy mercy, O Lord,

and grant us thy salvation. So I'm one nineteen one sixty two.

I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. Another result

of rejoicing for parents, a wise son, my son, if the heart

be wise, my heart shall rejoice even mine. Moving on to the New

Testament, some cause for rejoicing Philippians one eighteen. What then, notwithstanding every

way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached, and they're

in, and I therein do rejoice yeay, and will rejoice. The writer

there, Boston Paul, said, that's that's that's what makes me happy.

That's where that's where it's at. Apostle John made this statement, he rejoiced

to find to hear that his children walked in truth. We studied that not

so long ago in our adults Sunday school class. Another one in third John,

he made the statement, there, I rejoiced great greatly when the brethren

came and testified of the truth that is in the even as thou walkest in

truth Luke fifteen. We could go to that the things that make God the

Father rejoice, the product peril of the prodigal son, lost coin, the

ninety and nine sheep, the one sheep that made the Father rejoice. But

we're finding that one sheep, even though there were ninety and nine others.

How many of your body parts should rejoice? Is this just a mental thing.

My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee and my soul which

thou hast redeemed. Understand that that makes sense, lips. We can praise

God with our lips. Psalm fifty one. Purge me with hissop and I

shall be clean, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken

may rejoice that one gave me a little bit of pause, broken bones causing

rejoicing. I think there's some figurative speaking going on there, But our true

joy comes from brokenness. We we understand that let the heart rejoice some one

O five proverb is twenty three. There's a verse there that says, yay,

my rains shall rejoice. What did you know you had rains? No?

I didn't either. I think my dictionaries tell me that was actually probably

a reference to kidneys or some some internal My rains shall rejoice when my lips

speak right things rejoicing in depression my feelings? How can I rejoice? How

can I How can I put a positive spin on? How can I direct

my thoughts positively or to to the to the positive when all these bad things

are happening. I mean that it's oh, I guess it stopped raining now,

but it's dumping rain and I gotta go pack panels in a muddy backyard.

How do I rejoice? Depression? And I'm not talking about when I

When I use the term depression, I use it rather loosely, the depressed

feelings when I feel grumpy. Maybe that's a better word than when I just

don't feel like being happy? Is that okay? I understand there there is

such a thing as as clinical depression and actual a physical side inability to inability

to control one's emotions and thoughts. And that's not that's not what i'm That's

not what I'm jabbing at, though I'm I do think those two are are

actually related. I think, I think probably well, I would, I

would prescribe some biblical some biblical rejoicing some how to some some try. This

is long ago and far away. I heard a child's tape and it shocked

me. Then I was probably ten, I don't know, ten or twelve

years old, when care bears were all the rage. I don't know if

you remember those things, little teddy bears. And there was some cassette tape

and the one bear was called Grumpy Bear, and he explained that that I'm

happy being grumpy. That's how I want to be. Don't try to change

me. Well, I'm not that hit me. That hit me wrong.

Then I was like, no, that's you. You can't have it that

way. If you're grumpy, then you're grumpy, and then you should be

fixing that. Don't justify staying there. Look, just think with me,

just for a little bit, about some biblical characters who had a reason to

not be happy, had a reason to not rejoice and Paul and Silas in

prison Acts sixteen. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they

cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, who,

having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, made their

feet fast in the stalks, and at midnight praying and singing praises. They

didn't say, I had it in my car has a flat tire, hallelujah.

That wasn't what they were doing. Life was real, but they chose

to put their focus elsewhere. Their focus wasn't on the prison and on the

unfairness of the situation. Their focus was on God. Even though they hurt,

they knew where their salvation was coming from. Another time the disciples got

into that. Ecclesiastes says a time to weep, a time to laugh,

at time to mourn, a time to dance. The Romans says, weep

with them that weep, rejoice with them that do rejoice, and switch those

around. It's actually in the other order. We understand. We can't we

can't be we can't be all one. There are times, there are indeed

times of sadness, and we have to we have to walk those times those

paths as well. Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, give thanks at

the remembrance of His holiness, Israel's commander. To rejoice the beatitudes, rejoice

and be exceeding glad. And that's after talking about direct persecution when physically it's

not going to be nice. Rejoice. This is mostly talking about a state

of mind. Actually, the verses from Romans that I talked about rejoice ye

gentiles, rejoice ye gentiles with his people. That that phrase, now,

he gave that in the context of talking about how this was going to work,

that the Gentiles as well as the Jews, you know, the root

of Jesse. He's going to rise to reign over the gentiles. But in

him will the gentiles trust. That's verse twelve of Romans fifteen. Rejoicing one

Peter five one Peter one five to ten is another passage that is it could

or probably should be read, but just pick a verse out of the center

of that whom, having not seen, ye love. This is talking about

Jesus Christ. You haven't seen him, but you love in whom, though

now ye see him not yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full

of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your

souls. The prophets hunted for it couldn't hard to get it so practically,

if we get right down to it, How how should I rejoice? What?

How do I How do I decide if I'm even doing this? Or

is this part of my life or is it not? I don't think there's

one. I'm not prepared to give you the one, the one approved way

of demonstrating your rejoicing. I don't I don't consider myself qualified for that.

But I would rather just say that rejoicing is probably more of a state of

mind, or or a habitual, a way of looking at life, or

maybe I could call it a the habit of focusing our thoughts onto the positive

that finally, onto the positive which which moves us from the problems of today

and takes our thoughts to Christ, salvation and the future life. If current,

if your current circumstances don't give you much to rejoice about. Look at

the less fortunate, Look at what Christ has done for you. Point your

point your mind to future rejoicing Revelation nineteen five to nine. In closing,

I'm gonna read read these verses, and then one more, one more little,

one more, little statement from someone else. Look at future rejoicing,

because that that's what the Christian finally, finally has. That's the great,

the great secret of Christianity is the ability to have joy today because of the

future rejoicing and Revelation nineteen to five. And a voice came out of the

throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye servants, and ye that

fear Him, both small and great. And I heard, as it were

the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters,

and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Allelujah for the Lord God,

omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him.

For the marriage of the Lamb is come. And his wife hath made

herself ready, and to her was granted that she should be a rayed in

fine linen, clean and white. For the fine linen is the righteousness of

the saints, and he saith unto me. Right, blessed are they which

are called undo the marriage supper of the Lamb, and he saith unto me.

These are the true sayings of God. So I'd like to take your

minds to that future marriage supper of the Lamb, when the Christians with get

to be part of that. That's how it will all end up. You

will get to choose. No, you get to choose No. That's actually

not right. It's actually an unavoidable decision. You will decide whether or not

you're part of this marriage supper of the Lamb, where the true rejoicing will

be. Another little article I found. I'm going to read this paragraph to

you. In closing, it is the privilege of Christians to do this.

This is talking about rejoicing, rejoice in the Lord alway. It is the

privilege of Christians to do this, not at certain periods and at distant intervals,

but at all times. They may rejoice that there is a God and

Savior. They may rejoice in the character, law, and government of God,

in his promises, and in communion with Him. The Christian therefore may

be and should be always a happy man. If everything else changes, yet

the Lord does not change. If the sources of all other joy are dried

up, Yet this is not There is not a moment of a Christian's life

in which he may not find joy in the character, law, and promises

of God. So I hope you can be challenged to live a joyful Christian

life. Thank you for your attention.