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Come,
let us reason together
8/12/09
in humility receive the word
implanted, which is able to
save your souls.
But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves
James
1:21-22
Rejoice
Always
Preface
Rejoice
in the Lord
always;
again I will say, rejoice! --- Let your gentle
spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
--- Be anxious for nothing, but
in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be
made known to God. --- And the peace of God, which surpasses all
comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. --- Finally,
brethren,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is
pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any
excellence and
if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. ---
The things you have learned and received and heard and
seen in me,
practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. --- But I
rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your
concern
for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. --- Not that I speak from want, for I
have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. --- I
know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in
prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of
being
filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”
Phil. 4:4-13 As
I ponder this great Scripture reading I can’t think of a theme or
subject for
this lesson that would be more worthy of our consideration than that of
rejoicing in the Lord. This is not a mere suggestion, something that
sounds
nice, but rather a command, which many times is overlooked as a
command. And by
the attitudes and actions of some who claim to be Christians, sometimes
I can’t
help but wonder if such brethren are even aware that this apostle of
Christ ever
said; “Rejoice
in the Lord
always;
again I will say, rejoice!” Friends, this is not just
something optional which God’s
children might
do when it happens to strike their fancy, but rather it is quite
imperative,
and if you call yourself a Christian you cannot disregard it and be
true to the
Lord. To rejoice in the Lord is a discriminating command. That is, the
place
where one is to rejoice is IN the Lord; --- And only those who have
obeyed
Jesus Christ in true repentance and baptism have reason to rejoice. By
way of illustration, we can read in the book of Acts, in Acts 8:35-39;
--- “Then
Philip opened his
mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to
him. --- As they went along the road they
came to some water; and the eunuch said, ‘Look! Water! What prevents me
from
being baptized?’ --- And
Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And
he
answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God.’
--- And he ordered the
chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip
as well
as the eunuch, and he baptized him. --- When
they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the
Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went
on his
way rejoicing.” Surely, Christians have
every reason to rejoice; but as
regards to alien
sinners they have no real reason for rejoicing. Someone might say, “Now
why
would you make a statement like that?” --- So long as he remains
noncompliant
with the gospel. Men and women continue abusing the principle of
rejoicing, by
being content with the things which are not compatible with the
teaching of
Christ and His apostles. --- Furthermore, when you as a Christian
rejoice in
such things as the lust of the flesh, worldly wisdom and
self-righteousness,
your rejoicing is in vain. Lesson
As
already has been pointed out, there are for certain some things in
which it is
futile to rejoice in, so Christians beware. Faithful Christians are not
to
rejoice in: The
Flesh In
this same Philippian letter Paul wrote in chapter 3:1f; --- “Finally,
my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me,
and it is
a safeguard for you. --- Beware
of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false
circumcision; --- for
we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and
glory in
Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,”
With reference to this confidence in the flesh, Paul had this to say on
down in
Vs. 7-8; --- “But
whatever things were gain to me, those things I have
counted as loss for the sake of Christ. --- More
than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the
surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the
loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain
Christ,”
--- Dear friend, when you can honestly say in your soul; “There is not
one
single possession I have or ever hope to have in this life, that I
would gladly
give to the garbage man, if it means that I might gain Christ”; ---
then you
will truly know what it is to rejoice in the Lord. But let’s go a step
further
by proclaiming that it is vain to rejoice in the: Wisdom
of this world Just think about it; how
many times have you heard some
older person
referred to as; “That wise old Professor, or that wise old man”? Or
“He’s wise
like an owl”? Also how about that individual we are sometimes
encouraged to
“get to know a little better” because he/she is a lot of fun to run
around
with? We might say, “Why he’s so wise in the way of life!” Or “She
really knows
how to get with it?” Isn’t this just the sort of
people the apostle Paul had in
mind when he
said in 1 Cor. 1:20-21; --- “Where
is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is
the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the
world?
--- For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did
not come
to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the
message
preached to save those who believe.”
--- Every Christian ought to be sorely
aware of the hopelessness and vanity of mere human wisdom. Listen to
the words
of the Almighty in Isa. 55:7-9; --- “Let
the wicked forsake his way And
the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He
will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly
pardon. --- ‘For My
thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ declares
the LORD.
--- For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways
higher than
your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
--O yes, my friends there are so many things we might rejoice in, but
woe unto
us when we began to rejoice in: Our
own righteousness It
makes no matter how sweet and kind you are; --- when you are not a
Christian,
or when you are a Christian and in need of repentance and God’s
forgiveness,
the Bible says that your righteousness is but filthy rags in the sight
of God,
until you get right with Him. Again we refer to Isaiah, in Isa. 64:5-6;
--- “You
meet him who rejoices
in doing righteousness, who remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You
were
angry, for we sinned, we continued in them a long time; And shall
we
be saved? --- For all of us
have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds
are like a
filthy garment;
---“ Often time we seem to
forget the tender loving mercy of
God, and when we
do, we become very inconsiderate toward others who are in sin, or less
righteous than what we like to think we are. We are in dire need to be
put in
remembrance of what Paul instructed Titus in, Titus 3:2-6; --- “to
malign no one, to
be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. (Why
so?) ---
For we also once were foolish
ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and
pleasures,
---.”
Oh, how wicked and vile we were before
God! --- “spending
our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one
another. --- But when the
kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, --- He saved us, not on the basis
of deeds which we have done in
(our own)
righteousness, but according to
His mercy, by the washing of regeneration
(baptism)
and renewing by the
Holy Spirit, --- whom He poured
out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”
--- How utterly futile it is, when we rejoice in self righteousness.
--- Now,
up to this point, I suppose one might look at this as a negative point
of view
with reference to the action of rejoicing; --- However, let’s flip the
coin
over and look at some things we are to rejoice in; and number one,
we’re
suppose to rejoice in: ********************************************************** The
Truth
(concerning Jesus) Earlier you might recall we
looked at the conversion of
the Ethiopian
eunuch, how that he was taught the truth about Jesus Christ, and how he
confessed the truth that Jesus was the very Son of God. Consequently,
upon that
confession, Philip baptized him for the remission of sin. Moreover, the
eunuch
having the promise of God that every past sin had been forgiven, and
his soul
washed and made pure by the blood of the Lamb; Now was a time
for
rejoicing, and indeed the Scripture says, he went on his way rejoicing. The beloved apostle Paul, in
personifying love, spoke of
it as
pertaining to truth when he wrote about it in
1 Cor. 13:6; --- Love “does
not rejoice in unrighteousness,
but rejoices with the truth;”
--- The Psalmist proclaimed in Ps.
85:10-11; --- “Loving-kindness
and truth have met together;
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. --- Truth springs from
the
earth; and righteousness looks down from heaven.”
--- John, the apostle and elder in writing to a first century Christian
named
Gaius spoke thusly, in 3 Jn. 3-4; --- “I
was very glad when brethren came
and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.
--- I
have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in
truth.
--- John not only basked in the truth of God’s word, but O how he
rejoiced to
know that his children in the faith was likewise walking in the truth. Friends, when God’s truth is
taught or preached, no matter
how cutting
it might be, or how deep it plunges, we, as God’s children ought to
rejoice.
What is so great about this? --- Our Lord Jesus said; “"If
you continue
in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; --- and you will
know the
truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Jn. 8:32-33 --- But not only are we to rejoice in truth, but also we
rejoice: ********************************************************** In
Hope
(Which God instills in His children) Hope is a very precious
aspect of life and why is that so?
--- Because
in hope we have salvation. Paul said in Rom. 8:24-25; --- “For
in hope we have
been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for
what he
already sees?--- But if we hope
for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.”
Even Paul spoke of himself as being; --- “in
the hope of eternal life, which
God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago
(before times eternal).” Titus 1:2 --- You
see, hope is dependent on the promises of God; and it’s through God’s
word,
God’s truth and the promises contained therein, which gives us abundant
hope.
Thus, the more obedient you are, the more hope you possess. This hope, as the Hebrew
writer refers to it in Heb.
6:18-19; --- “so
that by two
unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who
have taken
refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set
before
us. --- This hope we have as
an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast
---“, and as we sometimes sing; “Will your anchor hold in the storms of
life,
when the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides
lift, and
the cables strain, will your anchor drift, or firm remain? ---We have
an anchor
that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll, fastened
to the
Rock which can not move, grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.” Yes indeed, we do have an
anchor, hope! Furthermore, in
this hope we
have much reason to rejoice. Troubles and sorrows may be heaped upon
us, even
to the point of death. But dear friends, God has good news for the
faithful and
true Christian. Even in the midst of your deepest trials, you have a
rock-solid
foundation and reason for rejoicing; the solemn promise of God, eternal
life in
heaven. Now what more could anyone hope for? --- Oh yes, hope is a
priceless
possession if you are a Christian. So
naturally, this hope of eternal life brings up yet another great reason
for
rejoicing; --- the fact that as Christians, our names are written in
heaven. In
the gospel according to Luke, we find where “The Seventy” had just
returned
from what is referred to as “the limited commission”. They were
rejoicing over
the fact that even the demons/devils were subject to them through the
authority
of Christ. Jesus replied to them in a most unexpected fashion, in Lk.
10:20;
--- Jesus said, “Do
not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to
you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”
--- It’s interesting to point out that here is mentioned grounds for
distorted
rejoicing as opposed to true rejoicing. --- They were not to rejoice in
the
fact that Jesus had given then authority. Authority to even step on
snakes and
scorpions without harm. Authority and power over the enemy. They were
not to
rejoice even when demons trembled and obeyed them. --- What our Lord is
saying,
is that if these earthly wonders is your cause for happiness, you’ve
got the
wrong idea. But rather, rejoice in the ultimate joyfulness, “that
your names are
recorded in heaven.” What about you dear friend?
Is your name written in the
Lamb’s book of
life? In the Scripture just prior to our Scripture reading, in Phil.
4:3, Paul
urged the Philippian brethren; --- “to
help these women who have shared
in my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also,
and the
rest of my fellow-workers, whose names are in the book of life.”
--- Oh! May I ask; --- On that final day, will you be among the vast
horde of
souls who, falling on their face before the Righteous Judge wondering;
--- “Is
my name written there?” Let me assure you my dear
reader, if you are a Christian,
living your
life in faithful, loving and obedient service
to Jesus your Savior; you’ll have no cause to
wonder as you stand
with your head held high, because when the roll is called up yonder,
you will
be there, and what a great day of rejoicing that will be. --- “Then
the King will say
to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit
the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Mt. 25:34 ********************************************************** Now as was mentioned in the
early part of this lesson,
rejoice in the
Lord is a discriminating command; (IN
the Lord). --- But not only is it a discerning command, but it is also; A
Perpetual Command
(Always) Let me
suggest to you dear soul, the joy of a Christian is not to be compared
to a
mood or a temperament which comes and goes like the changing wind, oh
no, but
the Christian’s joy is a perpetual spring. That’s why this epistle to
the
Philippians has been many times referred to as the “Epistle of Joy” or
“Rejoicement” --- Did you know that the words “joy”, “rejoice”, or
“rejoicing”
is mentioned at least seventeen time in just these four short chapters?
---
Where was Paul when he wrote such an inspiring and encouraging letter?
--- On
some secluded Vacation Island? --- Off somewhere in the peace and quiet
of the
mountains in meditation? ********************************************************** Prosperity
and Adversity Once
again, Paul told the Philippian brethren in Phil. 4:12; --- “I
know how to get
along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity;
in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled
and
going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”
--- To rejoice always, means just that, and if I want to be faithful to
the
command, no matter if I’m rich or poor, having all I could ever wish
for or in
deep poverty, in Jesus I will learn how to be content and happy. ---
Furthermore, in Phil. 2:17-18, Paul says; --- “Even
if I am being poured out as a
drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, (even
in this) I
rejoice and share my
joy with you all.--- And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way
and share
your joy with me.”
--- Rejoice always, when? --- Both in prosperity
and harsh conditions. When are we to rejoice? ---
It matters not whether I’m
among friends or
locked up somewhere in some filthy prison, I shall rejoice. --- Last
week I
received a notice about a faithful preacher in the Philippines by the
name of Otey
Pastor. The following sad and tragic story was sent to me by brother
Harry
Osborne: When
Otey was 19 years
old, a tragedy struck his life. His family had their land seized by
some
people. The courts ruled in favor of Otey’s family, but the land
grabbers would
not recognize the authority of the court. A woman whose husband was an
NPA
leader (communist rebels) went into their house armed with a gun. Otey
and his
brother followed her in and a struggle took place. The woman was killed
and
Otey maintained it was in self-defense. That explanation was accepted
at that
time, but the woman’s family is very influential and has fought to get
some
revenge. In short, they succeeded in getting Otey convicted through
courts
where they gained influence. Though his lawyers were trying to appeal
the
decision to a higher court where he might get a fair hearing, the
corrupt
officials are now demanding he surrender and go to prison. Though he is
clearly
innocent, it seems that Otey will have to start serving a 6 to 8 year
sentence.
His lawyer believes that will be reduced to 3 years with good behavior.
Even 3
years in the prisons here is an unimaginable horror to anyone in our
country. I
have preached in and seen the conditions these prisoners are under and
it is unspeakable.
I do not know about you, but when I consider Otey’s situation, my own
problems
seem very trivial! Even 3 years in the prisons here is an unimaginable
horror
to anyone in our country who has not seen the conditions these
prisoners are
under. In addition to Otey, his wife and small children will also be
sentenced
to a period of great suffering and deprivation as well as losing the
love and
care of their dear husband and father. We told the class of the problem
and let
Otey address them. There were no dry eyes, but we all joined in prayer
about
the situation. Otey has a good attitude and is determined to serve God
by
teaching the gospel in prison and living by faith. The cases of Joseph,
Daniel
and Paul were cited as examples to emulate. I ask each of you to please
pray
earnestly for this dear brother that God through His providential care
may
protect Otey. Our hearts are grieved beyond words, yet we have hope
that our
God is still in control and will work to bring about whatever is best
for His
will. Please note: Unless
things have changed, brother Otey is now in prison. We all should pray
for his
welfare and safety and that the cause of Christ will be promoted while
in these
harshest of conditions. --- Earl As mentioned earlier, this
Philippian letter which was written by Paul was absolutely bubbling
over with
joy and hope, even though penned by him while a prisoner in chains. ---
It’s
interesting to note his inspired assessment of some who were out to get
him and
make his situation even worse. In Phil. 1:15f, he speaks thusly; --- “Some,
to be sure, are
preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good
will; --- the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed
for the
defense of the gospel; --- the former proclaim Christ out of selfish
ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me
distress
in my imprisonment. --- What then? Only that in every way, whether in
pretense
or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes,
and I
will rejoice,”
--- The point Paul is trying to get across
is the fact that, here he was in prison and evidently some of the
brethren were
demonstrating a rather unfriendly attitude toward him, and as much as
he would
have liked to have been on the best of terms with all the brethren, he
could
still find great joy over the fact that regardless of personal feelings
and
friendships; --- Regardless of the fact he was in prison, the truth
about
Jesus, the Son of God was still being preached. So this was really a
great
reason for rejoicing. Let me be quick to point out, this by no means is
to
condone or promote denominationalism or false teachers. Eph. 5:11-12
and 3 Jn.
9-11 Now,
not only do we rejoice in truth and
hope, rejoice to know our names are recorded in heaven; and we can
rejoice
whether in prosperity or in need. It makes no difference what so ever
if I’m
among friends, or if I’m thrown into prison and my friends turn against
me; ---
even in this I rejoice, so long as the pure truth of God’s gospel is
preached,
souls are saved and God is glorified. --- But not only do I find
happiness and
contentment in these things, but also in: ********************************************************** Sickness
and Health Oh! My friends; When I am
sick or injured there is the
ever loving,
caring and understanding Christ to help me bear the suffering and pain.
You
see, no matter how bad or awful I feel, no matter how pain racked my
body might
be, or how emotionally distraught I might become; --- so long as I have
a
conscious memory cell moving about in my brain, I can look to the
cross, look
to Golgotha and envision my Lord hanging there suffering, bleeding and
dying in
pure agony; knowing full well, it is Earl Wilburn who should be hanging
there.
It was for my filthy sins, and your sins for which Jesus, the Son of
God died.
And it is by His bleeding wounds, His thorn crowned brow, His nail
scared hands
and feet; and it is by His stripes we are healed. --- So consequently,
this is
why, when I sometimes get to feeling sorry for myself, I can look to
Jesus the
suffering Servant, Jesus, the Great Physician, so that even in my own
sickness
or suffering I can rejoice. Notice what the Psalmist
wrote in Psalms 44:1-3; --- “How
blessed is he who
considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble.
--- The
LORD will protect him and keep him alive, And he shall be called
blessed upon
the earth; And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. --- The
LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, You
restore him
to health.”
--- Also, as I look about and constantly
observe my brethren, friends and associates, and see their sickness and
sufferings, some being overwhelmed by tragic events in their families;
I can’t
help but be made humbled by God’s rich mercy and goodness to me. He has
blessed
me with abundantly wonderful health which affords me the energy I need
to be
active in His service. But even in this, I’m ashamed to say that often
times I
fall short in that service. I
am so thankful to have known some faithful Christians who rejoice in
the Lord
in hard times and times of sickness. But then, on the other hand it
amazes me
how that some of God’s people would sometimes allow Satan to so easily
induce
self-pity and carelessness in their lives. --- But let’s go forward and
look at
another area in which we are to rejoice in the Lord; --- And that is
why we
should rejoice whether we are: ********************************************************** Favored
by men or Persecuted When I think about
persecution, my mind automatically
becomes in tuned
to those beautiful words that our Savior spoke in the beginning of what
we
refer to as “The Sermon on the Mount” in Mt. 5:11-12; --- “Blessed
are you when
people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds
of evil
against you because of Me. --- Rejoice and be glad, for
your
reward in heaven is great,--“ Do
you not realize dear friend, that when you love God and strive with
every fiber
of your being to do His will in everything, in faith, not doubting; ---
Do you
not recognize you have God’s personal assurance that He will take care
of you,
comfort and console you? For we have great joy as to what the Hebrew
writer
said in Heb. 13:, beginning in the second half of Vs. 5; --- “I
will never desert
you, nor will I ever forsake you, --- so that we can confidently
say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall
man do to
me?”
--- The word of God is telling you and me
here, it matters not what may befall me, no matter the circumstances,
friend,
we have every reason to rejoice, be content and happy in Christ Jesus
our Lord.
--- And when men speak of us in favor, well, that’s just icing on the
cake,
isn’t it? --- Finally in closing, we are to rejoice whether in: ********************************************************** Life
or
in Death Incidentally, I wonder how
many of us look forward to
death. --- May I
refresh your memory. Remember what it was that the prisoner Paul had to
say?
That prisoner in that Roman jail made these words literally leap from
the page
in Phil. 1:21; --- “To
live is Christ, and to die is gain!”
--- I repeat, --- “To
live is Christ, and to die is gain!”
Oh, what a beautiful sentiment. But friends, we’re not talking
“sentiment”; --- The life you live, the words
you speak, the deeds you do,
the prayers
you pray, the songs you sing, even the very thoughts you think,
everything you
do beloved, is preparing you for that appointment with death. --- This
appointment may only be canceled by the coming of Christ, otherwise it
must be
kept and it will be kept. But
for the Christian, this appointment with death has got to be the
greatest and
ultimate occasion for rejoicing. For the faithful Christian, to die is
gain. To
die is to be with Jesus Christ. --- The question is; --- Are you ready
to meet
your appointment? ********************************************************** Earlier we considered some
points concerning hope for
Christians. Hope
is a very precious commodity. However, the absence of hope paints for
the
sinner a very dismal and frightening picture. Before obeying the gospel
of
Christ, the Ephesians were described by these words in Eph. 2:12; --- “remember
that you were
at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the
commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no
hope
and without God in the world.”
--- Paul says, no hope, without God, shut
off; utter hopelessness. But I invite your attention
to their condition after
obedience.
Now they have abundant reason for rejoicing. Look in the very next
verse. Vs.
13; --- “But
now in Christ
Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by
the blood
of Christ.”
--- Notice again down in Vs. 19; --- “So
then you are no
longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens
with the
saints, and are of God's household,” Are
you rejoicing in the Lord always? --- If
not, do yourself a huge favor, the greatest favor ever; --- ask
yourself, “WHY NOT?” “While
we pray, and while we plead, while you
see your soul’s deep need, Come
to Christ, confession make; Come to
Christ, and pardon take;
Why not come to
Jesus now? *****************************************************************************************
Humbly
submitted in His love,
Earl Wilburn
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