2 years ago

God’s Will For You
Rejoice Always

INTRODUCTION

1. What is God’s will for you...?
a. Of course, if you are not saved, the answer is rather obvious
b. But if you are saved, what is God’s will for you in your life?
c. If someone walked up to you and asked, “What is God’s will for your life?” – what would your answer be?
d. How do you figure out what God’s will for you is?
e. There are books written by men on it.
• John MacArthur wrote a book called “Found: God’s Will”
• In it he says that God’s will for all of our lives is for us to be saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive and suffering.
• He concludes that if you are doing all five things, God is running your will, so you are living out God’s will for your life.
f. But, there’s another book that tells us what God’s will is for our life.
g. The Bible!

2. Sometimes the Scriptures are quite clear, as in passages like...
a. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1Th. 5:16-18

b. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality 1Th. 4:3

c. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 1Pe. 2:15

Such passages do not exhaust what is God’s will for us. But in many places, the Bible clearly states the will of God for you.

I. GOD WANTS YOU TO REJOICE ALWAYS

The word rejoice occurs 154 times in the ESV bible.
Rejoice is a verb that means to feel or show great joy or delight

A. REJOICE IN LIFE...
1. To rejoice in your youth –
a. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. – Ecc. 11:9

2. To rejoice in your work –

a. There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, Ecc. 2:24

b. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. Ecc. 3:12-13

c. So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? Ecc. 3:22

d. Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. Ecc. 5:18-19

3. To rejoice in life and wife –
a. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Ecc. 9:9

b. So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Ecc. 11:8

4. To rejoice in the things God has given us
a. As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. - 1Tim. 6:17

5. In addition to rejoicing at the good things of life, we are also to rejoice in our suffering
a. We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance… - Rom. 5:3

B. REJOICE IN SALVATION...
1. To rejoice in knowing that you are saved
a. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. - Luke 10:20

b. Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his salvation. – Ps. 35:9

2. To rejoice in your pursuit of God
a. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! – 1 Chron. 16:10

3. Rejoice in God’s love
a. I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul – Ps. 31:7

4. To rejoice in the hope that our salvation provides
a. Through him we have also obtained access by faith[a] into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. – Rom. 5:2

It is clearly the will of God that you rejoice always! Now let’s consider why...

II. YOU NEED TO REJOICE ALWAYS

A. FOR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL STRENGTH...
1. Anxiety weighs one down
a. Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. – Pr. 12:25

2. A glad heart raises the spirit
a. A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed… All the days of the afflicted are evil, but the cheerful of heart has a continual feast. – Pr. 15:13,15

3. A joyful heart is like good medicine
a. A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. – Pr. 17:22

B. FOR SPIRITUAL STRENGTH...
1. In the joy of the Lord there is great strength
a. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” – Neh. 8:10

2. When we have joy in what we believe, we abound in hope
a. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. - Rom. 15:13

3. When we are joyful, it helps those around us to be joyful.
a. - 2 Cor. 2:3

Our Creator understands the importance of a joyful spirit for both body and soul. Since He wants you to rejoice always, here are a few thoughts on...

III. HOW YOU CAN REJOICE ALWAYS

A. IN THE LORD...
1. It is in the Lord that one finds the ability to “rejoice always”
a. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. – Php. 4:4
b. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. – Php. 4:13

2. His salvation is the source of much joy.
a. O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! - Ps. 21:1

3. He grants joy to those who please Him
a. For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, only to give to one who pleases God... – Ecc. 2:26

b. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. – Ecc. 5:20

4. His mercy is a source of great joy.
a. I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, - Ps. 31:7

B. SOME IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS...
1. Read and meditate upon the Word of God daily
a. Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers - Ps 1:1-3
b. Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts. – Jer. 15:16
2. Meditate upon the teachings of Christ and His apostles
a. Jesus spoke that His disciples joy might be full
• These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. – Jn. 15:11
b. The apostles wrote that our joy might be full
• And we are writing these things so that our[a] joy may be complete. - 1Jn. 1:4

3. Sing praises of joy to God
a. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. – Ps. 9:2
b. My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed. - Ps 71:23
c. I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord. – Ps. 104:33-34
d. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant! - Ps. 135:3

4. Spend time with brethren who make us happy
a. As Titus’ joy encouraged Paul
• And besides our own comfort, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. - 2Co 7:13
b. As Philemon’s love and joy refreshed the hearts of others and gave Paul joy
• For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. - Phm 1:7

CONCLUSION
1. So what is the will of God for you...?
a. Rejoice always!
b. Rejoice in the Lord always!
c. Rejoice in the blessings He has given you!
d. Rejoice in both the physical and spiritual blessings of life!

2. This does not mean we will never suffer hardship, but we can rejoice in the Lord always, even in the hard times.

And so, let us be diligent to do the will of God: Rejoice always...!

Benediction

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

—Hebrews 13:20–21

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