(Psalm 100:1) Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. (2) Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. (3) Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. (5) For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. In this Psalm, God gives us several reasons to rejoice. He is God (the sovereign of all things). He is our creator. He takes care of us. He is good. His mercy is everlasting. His truth is eternally and for everyone.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16. Dr. Harry Ironside made this convicting statement about rejoicing. “We may blame others for our lack of joy, but the truth of the matter is that if our joy has gone, we have no one to blame but ourselves. It shows that we are out of fellowship with God.” Wow! That is blunt, but I believe he is right.

Transition

As we examine our text this morning, I want to show you several Bible reasons that we should rejoice evermore (i.e., rejoice always) if we know the Lord as our Saviour.

The 1st reason we should rejoice always is because

God has Saved Us from Hell

  1. (1 Peter 1:5-6) Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
  2. True Christians have been saved from hell
    1. We have all sinned. Sin is missing the mark of perfection. Sin is an offence to God who created us.
    2. To be just, God cannot allow sin or sinners into heaven. He must punish sinners in hell.
    3. The good news is that God loves us even though we are sinners and He sent His Son (Jesus) to this earth to become a man so that He could die in our place. He died on the cross 2,000 years ago to pay for our hell. (Romans 5:8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
    4. By placing our faith in Christ’s payment, we can be saved from hell. That is an awesome truth to rejoice in.
      The 2nd reason we should rejoice always is because

We have an Eternal Hope

  1. (Romans 12:12) “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;”
  2. Being saved by Christ gives us eternal hope.
    1. Death is not the end. It is the beginning of eternity. We are eternal beings that will live forever somewhere.
    2. If Christ has saved you, He is preparing a home in heaven for you. (1 Peter 1:3-5) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
    3. We will be resurrected or raptured when the Lord returns to take believers to heaven. (Titus 2:13) “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”
    4. As the songwriter put it, “This world is not my home I’m just a pass’n through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” Our eternal hope is another good reason to rejoice always.
      The 3rd reason we should rejoice always is because

Our Great God Makes no Mistakes

  1. (Philippians 4:4) “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”
  2. We are to rejoice in the Lord.
    1. Our joy is not to be based on circumstances, but in God. Circumstances change, but God never changes.
    2. The Lord is all-knowing and all-powerful. (Psalms 147:4-5) “He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.” (Jeremiah 32:17) “Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:”
    3. The Lord knows all about us. (Psalms 139:1-4) “O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.”
    4. The Lord will never leave us. (Hebrews 13:5) “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
    5. The Lord wants us to cast our cares on Him. (1 Peter 5:7) “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
    6. The Lord will work out every situation for our good. (Romans 8:28) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
    7. The fact that God makes no mistakes is reason to rejoice.
      The 4th reason we should rejoice always is because

Joy is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit

  1. (Galatians 5:22-23) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
  2. The Holy Spirit who lives in us wants to produce the fruit of joy in our lives.
    1. If we will live close to the Lord, He will produce joy in us.
    2. He will enable us to be joyful in the midst of troubling circumstances.
      The 5th reason we should rejoice always is because

Trials Force Us to Depend on God

  1. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
  2. When we recognize our weakness, God is able to give us His strength.
    1. Paul’s attitude was, “I will most gladly keep my trial if it means I can have God’s strength perfected in me.”
    2. When we depend on God’s strength instead of our own, God is able to use us to a far greater degree.
    3. Knowing this truth, gives us a great reason to rejoice even during trials.
      The 6th reason we should rejoice always is because

Trials Can Improve Our Character

  1. (James 1:2-4) “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
  2. God wants trials of our faith to produce endurance that will perfect our Christian character.
    1. Trials in life will make you either bitter or better. The choice is up to you.
    2. Trials can give us empathy for others. They can improve our prayer life. They can keep us humble. Trials can open doors to witness.
    3. Remember Job’s words during his huge trial? (Job 23:10) “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”
    4. God wants to use your trials to improve your Christian character. If you will accept that fact, you can rejoice in your trials.

Conclusion

The verse, “Rejoice evermore” was written to Christians. It is not possible for unbelievers to rejoice always. If you are not yet a Christian, you can be if you will admit your sinfulness and place your faith in Jesus Christ to save you from hell. (Contact me).

If you are a Christian, God wants you to rejoice always. This morning I listed six reasons to rejoice always and I know there are many more. If you have not been rejoicing always, review the reasons I listed, (download the notes of this sermon), draw close to God and ask God to help you rejoice as you should. As Dr. Ironside said, if our joy is gone, we are out of fellowship with God.

Song: Since the Saviour Found Me, 493
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Rejoice Evermore!
22 May 2016 AM – 1Thessalonians 5:16 – 1Th2016 – Scott Childs