The Choice To Rejoice

The Choice to Rejoice We all WANT to be happy. Most people will say their main priority in life is to live a happy life. Sometimes we even try to appear happy when we are not. If I am not happy, I must fake it – put on my happy face and remember that I am just having a great time. But always appearing to be happy creates stress. During a time in my life when I was going through a hard time church was probably the hardest place for me. At home I didn’t have to fake it. At work I was too busy to think about it. But at church where there are social circles I didn’t want to smile. I can remember getting in the stair well and just wanting to stay there. How many of you have faked Joy? Almost makes me think there are more people faking it than actually rejoicing it. Not every day is a perfect 10. Some days are just disasters. Monday – Al fixing plumbing – gets stuck on the roof – cuts the wrong pipe – repairs the wrong pipe – cuts the right pipe – doesn’t fix the problem – nearly gets bit by brown recluse – truck power steering goes out – goes to the store to buy 1 thing, forgets the 1 thing – Jacob forgets his report. It is easy to be happy when everything is going your way. But it is the rest of the time that gets us? R u only happy when everything is going your way? If so you are going to be unhappy for most of your life. How do we stay positive in a negative world? How can we say optimistic when everything is falling apart? JOY Galatians 5:22 “the fruit of the spirit is….joy”

And Philippians 4:4 “rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again Rejoice.” When something is repeated in the bible take notice. Happiness vs. Joy Happiness is from the root word “hap” which means luck or circumstance. It depends on happenings. “I am happy today because….my hair looks just right, my jeans feel loose today, my husband is in s good mood, my children are acting like angels.” Joy is so different. It is much deeper. It is an attitude, a willing choice. It works on the inside – not on circumstances. YOU CAN CHOOSE, REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE, TO BE JOYFUL. This does mean you do not take life any more seriously than the next person. It just means you choose to remain joyful with the whatevers of life. Joy is what makes our lives enjoyable. As a Christian we have every reason to be the most positive people in the world: 1. We have hope. Romans 5 begins “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace which we now stand. Paul then explains that the result of experiencing this grace is that “we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” We have no situation that is completely hopeless!!We have hope. Can Live: 40 days w/o food, 3 days w/o water, 8 min w/o air

But not one minute without hope. The problem is that many have hope but it is not based on something solid. It is an artificial pump yourself up hope. The problem with this is we are human and will fail. The other problem is many build their hope on the wrong things: The stock market, your looks, a big salary, a nice job, a good family. But these entire things are temporary and can be taken away at any point. If your hope is built on these thing when they disappear so does your hope. And joy is impossible without hope. But we have a reason to be positive when life stinks. We can rejoice b/c we have hope. Romans 12; 12. We have hope in Christ. This is the first and greatest reason we can rejoice. 2. God has a purpose for our lives. He has a purpose in every situation!! Romans 5:3 Sufferings mean distress in Greek. Anything that puts you under pressure. That helps b/c I may not feel as if I am suffering but I am always under stress. So this applies to us all. Many believe when they get rid of their problems they will be happy. But we will never rid of our problems. In fact usually when we get rid of a big problem we just find smaller ones that we were not aware of while dealing with the big problem. Joy is learning to live life in spite of problems, in spite of suffering. Joy is not the absence of problems but the presence of god. And God is always with us. Now I am not telling you to be a hypocrite acting and smiling like the world is wonderful when you world is crashing around you. Paul is not saying deny that things are bad when they really

are. He is also not telling you to be a martyr. Some think the more they suffer the more spiritual they are. “Suffering for Jesus” Paul states we rejoice IN our suffering not rejoice because of our suffering, not rejoice with our suffering. You can be positive even in a negative situation b/c we know God has a purpose in allowing that situation. This perspective, this insight, should give us Christians a reason to react differently than those around us. Read a letter from book. It’s all about perspective. And we should have the perspective to know that God is always at work in our lives. It is easier to handle trials when we know there is a purpose behind them, that your suffering is not in vain. Ex Childbirth What does our suffering produce? A.Perserverence. The ability to handle pressure. The ability to hang in there, to never give up, to keep on going. THEN your character and confidence becomes stronger. B.Character Romans 5:4 This word is only in the bible 6-7 times. It means proven reliable. Reliable vehicle – ex Maxima. God wants to make you that kind of person but he has to put you through some suffering to produce the character that makes you labeled reliable. Through the storm you stay with him and come out not worser for the wear but even better. And that internal character produces Joy. C. Hope The character produces hope. Hope in the bible does not mean I wish or I want. It means confidence in Christ power and confidence in God’s promises. Problems increase our hope.

God may not bring the problem to you but he allows it. As A Christian nothing comes into your life by accident. Problems do not always cause perseverance, character, and hope. Sometimes they cause bitterness, anger. Perseverance, character and hope come when we CHOOSE the right attitude When we choice to rejoice God then uses it for good in our lives. James 1:2-4 Problems are meant to produce maturity. 3. God is with us. Romans 5:11 Paul mentions a 3rd reason to rejoice. As believers we have been reconciled to God through Jesus. We have become God’s friends. Isaiah 43:2 It says that if you are a believer God is with you and nothing can overwhelm you. The devil cant, other people cant, and God won’t. No matter what u go through u will not go through it alone. DEVELOP A SPIRITUAL WORKOUT Joy is like a muscle. The more you exercise it the stronger it becomes. There are 4 exercises that can help us develop inner joy. 1. Develop the attitude of gratitude 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” Notice we don’t have to be thankful for all circumstances rather we are to be thankful IN all circumstances.

Gratitude is the healthiest emotions. Studies show it produces more emotional energy than any other attitude. Challenge: Look for ways to establish gratitude this week. Write a note of thank you, make a phone call and tell them how much they mean to you, pray only to express gratitude to God. You will get an emotional high from this. If you are not naturally joyful start singing your favorite hymns of praise to God and see how your attitude changes. 2. Cultivate inner joy by giving. Acts 20:35 “it is more blessed to give then to receive” And give happily, “God loves a cheerful giver” 2 Cor 9:7 We are most like God when we give and he never gives grudgingly. Also, giving determines how much God can do in our lives. When we give to him gladly we open ourselves to receive from him freely. Read Malachi 3:10 He wants us to test him in this. He is not going to lose this test. Instead of the Pepsi challenge it is the Giving Challenge. We cannot out give God. 3. Develop inner joy through service. Jesus said we must lose our life to save it. Mark 8:35 The happiest people are usually too busy serving others to stop and ask “Am I happy?” Joy comes when we get our focus off ourselves and concentrate on others. There are so many areas of need many right here in the church walls. EX Christ closet counseling. 4. Share Christ with others.

Jesus says there is rejoicing in heaven when a person comes to faith in Christ Luke 15:10. Remember the joy when u gave your life to Christ. The feeling is similar when you bring someone else to Christ. Imagine one day in heaven and someone comes to you thanking you for taking the time to tell them about Jesus. Romans 10:1 Paul calls out “How I wish with all my heart that my own people might be saved! How I pray to God for them!” I want a burden like that. Joy is elusive b/c these very exercises that we should be doing run counter to what our culture teaches. Our culture says, Live for yourself and forget about others. But our Lord tells us that joy comes from developing an attitude of gratitude and giving of our material possessions, our time, and our knowledge of Christ.

The Choice to Rejoice Lesson 5 September 17, 2008 Happiness vs. Joy Happiness means __________________________. Dependent on _______________. Joy is an _________________________________. Dependent on ____________________. WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE POSITIVE: 1. We have ___________. Romans 5 Romans 12:12 2. God has a _____________for our lives. Romans 5:3 Suffering produces: A. B. C. 3. God is __________________. Romans 5:11 Isaiah 43:2 DEVELOP A SPIRITUAL WORKOUT 1. Develop the Attitude of ______________. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 2. Cultivate inner joy by ________________. 3. Develop inner joy through ______________. Mark 8:35 4. Share _______________ with others. Luke 15:10