"REJOICE ALWAYS!"
                         1 Thessalonians 5:16
INTRODUCTION
1. In 1 Th 5:16, we have a command which is just as binding upon
   Christians as any you can find in the Word of God:  "Rejoice always"
2. It has been my observation that many Christians fall far short in
   carrying out this command in their lives...
   a. It is often apparent as we go about our daily living
   b. It frequently carries over into our worship (e.g., lack of
      enthusiasm in singing, boredom in singing and listening to 
      preaching)
3. Why is it that many Christians don't seem to have joy in their 
   lives?
   a. There may be many different reasons
   b. In this lesson, I wish to touch on several
[As we begin, let me make sure that we understand what "joy" really
is...]
I. DEFINING AND UNDERSTANDING "JOY"
   A. IN THE GREEK, THE MOST COMMON WORD FOR JOY IS "CHARA"...
      1. It means "joy, delight, gladness" (Vines)
      2. It is closely related to charis (grace) and charisma (gift)
         a. "We might like to think of charis and charisma as that
            which produces joy; and chara as the response to a gift
            which is given." (Denny Diehl)
         b. This is in agreement with the definition found in the 
            Zondervan Topical Bible for joy:  "the emotion excited by
            expectation or acquisition of good"
   B. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOY AND GIFT...
      1. Understanding the close relationship between joy and gift 
         allows us to appreciate a very important principle
      2. We have or show joy in direct response to the value of the
         gift received!
         a. The greater the value we place on some gift, the greater
            our joy when received
         b. To illustrate, imagine your reaction to three different 
            gifts:
            1) The gift of a penny (ho hum)
            2) The gift of a hundred dollars (now that's really nice)
            3) The gift of a new house (wow!  that's fantastic!)
      3. Can you see how the response or emotion of joy is in direct 
         proportion to our evaluation of the gift received?
   C. APPLY THIS PRINCIPLE TO THE JOY CHRISTIANS SHOULD HAVE...
      1. What has God given to us?
         a. It may be easier to list those things God HASN'T given us!
         b. For everything good in this life is from God - cf. Ja 1:17
      2. The most valuable gift God has given us is eternal life! - cf.
         Ro 6:23
         a. This involves freedom from the condemnation for sin, 
            through Jesus' blood!
         b. Also, fellowship with God as we go through this life!
         c. With the hope of everlasting life with God after this life!
      -- Should not the great value of this gift produce great joy?  It
         did for the Ethiopian eunuch! - cf. Ac 8:38-39
[But as mentioned in the introduction, many Christians who possess this
great gift are not as joyful as they should be.  Again I ask, why?  
Perhaps one reason is this...]
II. WE DON'T APPRECIATE THE MAGNITUDE OF OUR SIN!
   A. WE DON'T APPRECIATE WHAT SIN DOES...
      1. How it separates us from God - cf. Isa 59:1-2
      2. How it can condemn us to spiritual death and hell - Ro 6:23;
         Re 21:8
      
   B. WHY MIGHT THIS BE THE CASE?
      1. Perhaps we look at sin from the world's point of view:
         a. "Sin is not all that bad"
         b. "It is only a violation of human relationships, which we 
            can easily correct by saying 'I'm sorry'"
      2. Instead, we should be looking at it from God's point of view:
         a. Just one sin makes a person guilty of all! - Ja 2:10-11
         b. Sin has affected everyone! - Ro 3:23
         c. Sin is so terrible, God had to send His Only Begotten Son
            to die for our sins!
[Until we realize the terribleness of sin, we won't appreciate the 
salvation from sin which God offers.  And that leads us to perhaps the
main reason why most Christians lack joy...]
III. WE DON'T APPRECIATE THE MAGNITUDE OF OUR GIFT!
   A. WE DON'T APPRECIATE WHAT JESUS HAS DONE!
      1. How He has reconciled us back to a loving fellowship with God!
         - 2 Co 5:18-19
      2. How in Christ, all things have become new! - 2 Co 5:17
   B. WHY MIGHT THIS BE THE CASE?
      1. Here are some hints:
         a. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain
            in you, and that your joy may be full." - Jn 15:11
         b. "And these things we write to you that your joy may be
            full." - 1 Jn 1:4
         -- John wrote, and Jesus spoke, concerning things designed to
            give us fullness of joy!
      2. Many Christians never take the time to contemplate and 
         understand...
         a. What Jesus taught
         b. What His apostles wrote
      3. If we did, I believe we would appreciate...
         a. The terribleness of our sin
         b. The magnitude of the gift of salvation in Christ!
      4. Instead, we allow ourselves to more influenced by the world 
         and its standards
         a. Such that we value material things over spiritual things
         b. Such that we have and show more joy over receiving things
            like...
            1) A new job, promotion, raise
            2) A new house, car
            3) A husband, wife, or children
            ...than we do over receiving the gift of salvation from
            sin!
[I am not suggesting that we should not rejoice over material gifts;
indeed, we should be thankful.  But if we are not as joyful over our
spiritual gifts, we need to retrain our thinking through the Word of
God!
There may be another reason why some Christians are not joyful...]
IV. OVERREACTING TO EMOTIONALISM
   A. THERE IS CERTAINLY A DANGER IN EMOTIONALISM...
      1. Emotionalism is where emotions rule instead of the Word of God
      2. It is often a "better felt than told" kind of religion
         a. Where people depend more on what they feel in their heart
         b. Rather than basing their beliefs and actions on what the
            Bible says
      3. Such emotionalism often manifests itself in worship that is
         characterized by disorderly outbreaks of emotion
         a. Contrary to what is ordained in 1 Co 14:40
         b. Where such displays are often totally unrelated to what is
            being said
   B. BUT THERE IS ALSO A DANGER IN THE OTHER EXTREME...
      1. Of resorting to "dead formalism"
         a. In which little or no emotion is shown
         b. Whether in our singing, or in offering an "amen" to our
            prayers
         -- Worship which does not involve the heart is just as wrong!
            - Mt 15:7-18
      2. The extreme to which one can go can be quite absurd, as 
         illustrated in this story:
         
         "A man walks into a worship assembly.  The preacher is
         eloquently expressing God's love for us, and the man says
         'Amen!'  That draws a few stares and whispers of 'Who is
         that?'  The preacher goes on to state that Jesus died for
         our sins so that we can go to heaven and the man says
         'Alleluia.'  Again more stares and questions.  Finally, the
         preacher states that through Jesus we may have eternal life,
         and the man says 'Praise the Lord!'
         Everyone is looking now, and one fellow goes over to the
         newcomer to inform him, 'We don't praise the Lord here.'"
   C. THERE CAN BE BOTH JOY AND ORDERLY WORSHIP!
      1. There is room for "Amens" and "Praise the Lord!" when offered
         with sincerity and in keeping with what is said
      2. In reacting to one extreme, let's not go to the other and take
         away the joy of being a Christian!
         a. "Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the
            Lord your God." - Joel 2:23
         b. "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house
            of the Lord.'" - Psa 122:1
         c. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" 
            - Ph 4:4
         d. "...singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" 
            - Ep 5:19
CONCLUSION
1. Oh, but many Christians enter the worship of our Creator and Savior
   with the enthusiasm and vigor of those filling their income tax 
   returns on April 14th!
   
2. Brethren, this should not be!   And if it is...
   a. We need to pray the prayer of David:  "Restore to me the joy of
      Your salvation..." - Psa  51:12
   b. We need to allow the Word of God to do its work: "Your words were
      found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and 
      rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by your name, O Lord God
      of hosts." - Jer 15:16
3. If we would spend time with the Word of God, we would learn that we
   also have been called of God...
   b. Called out of sin and its consequences
   b. Called into a wonderful relationship with God and Jesus Christ,
      where all can be made new!
4. With such a knowledge of God's great gift, joy is a natural reaction
   and also a wonderful blessing:
   Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, 
   O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.  In Your name they 
   rejoice all day long, And in Your righteousness they are 
   exalted."  (Psa 89:15-16)
Don't you want that joy?  Then understand and accept the gift of 
eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord!