Power Point - Nov. 9, 2006
November 9, 2006
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
--Philippians 4:4
Do you remember singing the song in Sunday school, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!”? What wonderful Christian wisdom! This contagious, conspicuous, continuous joy should be the mark of every believer.
But you might be saying to yourself, “Well, I’m a believer, but I don’t always feel joyful. My life’s in chaos right now. How on earth do I rejoice in the Lord?!”
Pay attention to the key phrase that the apostle Paul uses over and over again in the book of Philippians: in the Lord. Now, why should that bring you joy? Because if you’re a believer, you are in Christ. And in Christ, there is security, there is strength, and there is peace.
As a follower of Christ, you should find your joy in Him…not in your circumstances.
Now, I’m not talking about putting on a plastic smile and pretending to be happy or being superficial and phony. I’m talking about a joy deep within us that can’t help but come out. It’s what Chuck Swindoll calls “outrageous joy.” Wouldn’t you love for the joy of the Lord to be so strong in you that it could be called outrageous?
Keep in mind that Satan knows there is joy in the Lord, and he diligently tries to steal it from you. He wants to rob you of that joy through disappointments, defeat, and discouragement. He wants to make you weak and vulnerable, because it’s your joy in the Lord that keeps you strong and draws others to Christ!
Jesus is the source of all joy. So when your circumstances don’t make you feel all that joyful, rejoice in the Lord. Praise Him, because when you exalt Christ in your life, you’ll find joy.
The joy of the Lord is your strength.
As followers of christ, we should find joy in christ—not in our circumstances.