Get Your Joy Back: The Choice To Rejoice!

July 17th, 2022 | Casey Middle School

Story: As far back as I can remember I’ve dealt with varying levels of anxiety. I always had a lot of questions and these questions led to a lot of fear about the unknown. When I was a child my anxiety would accelerate in times of change. So much so that my parents wouldn’t even tell me when we were traveling till the night before. I would obsess about the trip… how long would it take to get there, how long would we be gone, where are we going to sleep, what am I going to take, what am I going to do… and much much more!

Question: How many of you in the house can relate?

Anxiety doesn’t just affect you mentally, but emotionally, spiritually, and physically as well. My deep anxiety led to me feeling overwhelmed and my stomach would go south. Now, I’ll spare you the details, but I will tell you that as a child I was extremely unhealthy and even had extensive work done to determine what was wrong with me. Come to find out, it was all because of worry, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed.

My parents did a great job as they walked with me on that journey, but I still find myself overcome with fear of the unknown, the need for everything to be perfect, and the desire for answers to all of life's problems.

Question: Can we all agree that if you struggle with anxiety at any level, then these last few years have been a challenging season for you?

Our world has experienced violent wars, a global pandemic, and economic uncertainty. In Boulder alone we’ve endured a mass shooting, historic wildfires, and political divide. And in each of your lives I know there has been significant loss, pressure in your careers, hurt and pain in relationships, questions about your faith, and doubt in your calling! Do you see it? Do you feel it?

In the midst of it all, I want to tell you “GET YOUR JOY BACK!” (2X)

Joy is not found in the absence of pain, but in the presence of God!

Joy is not contingent on your circumstance, it’s not controlled by your feelings, it’s not created by your own effort, it’s found in Jesus Christ and received by His grace!

Title: The Choice To Rejoice

The reason joy is a choice is because it’s an act of obedience. We see that joy is not merely an emotion, it’s a command from God that we get to choose to obey! So I want to call you up to proactive JOY in your life. Despite the season, in the midst of your circumstance, you can get your joy BACK today!

Finding your joy is not to suppress grief, pain, and sadness, but to submit to God!

Passage: Philippians 4:4-7

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Background: Paul is writing this letter to the church at Philippi. Paul and his friends started this church on his second missionary

journey. This was the first church established on the European continent. The church sent a gift with Epaphroditus to be delivered to Paul. This letter is Paul thanking them for their generosity and encouraging them in their faith.

Main Points:

1. Rejoice Always

   1. “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.”

   2. Paul is writing this letter from prison and he says “Always be full of joy in the Lord…”

      1. This was Paul's MO. In Acts 16 we see him and Silas praying and singing hymns in prison. Having a full on praise break that led to a jail break!

         3. I think there could be several reasons as to why Paul encourages the church to rejoice, be joyful in the Lord.

      2. First, I believe it’s because he was speaking to a people that needed to be reminded of this truth. How many would say we need to be reminded of this truth as well? Many people in our country are being treated for anxiety. I think we all need to be reminded to find our joy in the Lord.

      3. Second, I believe that Paul is wanting to get the point across that our circumstances do not determine our attitude. Paul is saying that even in prison I rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always! I’ll say it again… REJOICE! Our circumstances change daily, oftentimes really high and really low all in the same day, but our God is never changing. He’s faithful and He’s worthy of our praise this minute, the next minute, the next hour, the next day, and for all eternity!

         4. Finding joy in the Lord and being considerate toward others is a constant reminder that what’s happening around us is bigger than us.

      4. “Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them.” - Philippians 4:5 MSG

      5. God is moving in our city and in the lives of individuals around us.
      6. Application: Someone here today may be missing joy because you have not lifted your head to see where God is at work around you.

      7. “There are many people who never know the joy of the Lord because they have failed to see themselves as miserable sinners. The only way to be happy in Christ is to be desperately unhappy without him” - Martyn Lloyd-Jones

         5. Finding joy in the Lord in every season is saying

      8. “I may not be in the best health right now, but God you are good!”

      9. “I may not have clarity for what the future holds, but God you are faithful!”

      10. “I may not understand why I’m in all this pain, but God you are a loving Father!”

          6. Being considerate toward others is saying

      11. “I may not be having the best day, but I’m going to show up and serve the hurting around me”

      12. “I have just received some bad news, but I’m not going to take it out on my family.”

      13. “I may have just lost my job, but I’m going to take this pain and pray for others that just lost their jobs.”

          7. The enemy is stealing your joy because he’s convinced you that you need to understand all of the answers to your problems!

      14. “anything we can understand” The peace of God transcends our understanding and gives us the freedom to experience the joy of the Lord!

      15. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding” - Proverbs 3:5

      16. “for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” - Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

          8. ALWAYS be full of JOY

      17. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for this passage to say “Be full of joy most of the time, but I get it…”

      18. But for Paul, he understood that salvation alone in every moment of your being is enough to rejoice!
      19. “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” - Romans 5:1-5 ESV
      20. Application: This passage reminds us that we can have joy in, through, and for whatever lies ahead!
      21. Get your JOY BACK! God is our salvation. He is our hope! He is our firm foundation! God is building something in you, growing and maturing you, refining and restoring you, and pointing you back to His love!
      22. “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” - Psalm 51:12 ESV

2. Pray Constantly

   1. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Don’t worry about anything, pray about everything.

      1. Question: What should we worry about?

      2. Question: What should we pray about?

         2. Paul’s instruction turns us from anxious worry’ers to prayerful warriors.

      3. Question: What are you worried about right now? Have you prayed about it?

      4. If you got time to post about it, you got time to pray about it!
      5. Story: My wife saying “Have you prayed about it?”
         3. Does He have your attention?
      6. What you pay attention to is what will stir your affection.
      7. In our routines, in our habits, in the morning, laying down at night, does he have our attention, does he have our affections? Are we being intentional to create space in our day to talk to God.

      8. Illust: Neriah saying my name 25 times in a row… and sometimes I’m just zoned out. Distant or distracted.

         1. God is never zoned out. God is never too busy or distracted. He is always right there, and ready to listen and respond. 4. Question: Are we too busy to pray? We’re not too busy to worry! We’re not too busy to be anxious. We’re not too busy to talk about our problems with our friends. We’re not too busy to be overwhelmed! But are we too busy to pray?
            4. Does He have your worship?
               1. Anxiety can drive you to worship the problem, prayer reminds you that God is in control and it drives you to worship Him.
               2. “And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.” - Colossians 3:15
               3. Rejoicing always is not a cover up, but a crying out!

3. Give Thanks In Everything

   1. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

   2. Nothing can change a room like good ol’ fashion gratitude

      1. You want to elevate a room, just be happy to be in the room. Thank somebody! Be thankful!
      2. The same is true in our hearts! You want to experience joy, write down 5 things you are grateful to God for right now! Starting with Salvation!

      3. Lyrics: When I Think about the Lord, how He saved me, how He raised me, how He filled me with the Holy Ghost. How He healed me, to the uttermost. When I Think about the Lord, how He picked me up and turned me around, how He placed my feet on solid ground, it makes me wanna shout, Hallelujah, Thank you JESUS, LORD, you’re worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor, and all the praise!

         3. We’ve become so fixated on what we don’t have, that we lose a heart of gratitude for how far He’s brought us!

      4. I’m not where I want to be, but THANK GOD I’m not where I used to be.

      5. He’s made all things new! He’s building my faith! He’s given me a purpose!

“16 Rejoice always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I’ve got peace like a river in my soul

I’ve got joy like a fountain in my soul

I’ve got love like an ocean

Invitation: Ephesians 2:8-9

Acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a savior

Believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead and that He wants to forgive you of your sins

Confess Jesus as Lord of your life and you will be saved!

“Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Hebrews 12:1-2 CSB

• Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you
• I confess that I have sinned against you
• I believe that God raised you from the dead
• And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”
• Thank you for forgiving me
• By your grace I am saved
• And by your power I am set free

Prayer