A Modern Day Book of Acts Church: Filled with Joy

A Modern Day Book of Acts Church: Filled with Joy Acts 13: 48-52 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. Philippians 4:4 (KJV) Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. The Book of Acts Church I preach a lot about being a Book of Acts Church. And I believe we are! o This is an Apostolic Church. This is a church that believes the word of God. We believe our God has the power to heal. We believe our God has the power to break the chains of bondage. We believe our God has the power to totally transform a life. o This IS a Book of Acts Church! We ve got the same doctrine. We preach the same message. We baptize in the same manner using the only name under heaven given among men that has the power to save! We have the same faith that our God can do anything. But there is another component to being a Book of Acts Church. o I want you to understand, this afternoon, that the First Century Church was a church that was filled with Joy! They weren t a bunch that was long faced, always down and out, and tired of living this old life. They were a people that had been touched and transformed by the Holy Ghost! They were a people who had been adopted into the family of God. And they were happy about it! o As a matter of fact, our text says that they were filled with JOY and with the Holy Ghost. I believe you could tell it by the look on their face, they were blood bought children of God and they were happy about it. I believe that when that first century church got together to have service, it didn t resemble a funeral parlor. Modern Day Book Of Acts Church Part 3 1

I don t believe they had cold dead dry religion. But I believe when they got together there was some celebrating to do. I believe when they got together there was rejoicing to be done. You might shrug it off and chalk it up to the fact that they were a newborn church. o You might just shrug and say wait until life runs it s course, they ll settle down a bit. But I m here to tell you that decades later, when the church fell under intense persecution, when their lives were on the line. o Paul wrote to the church at Phillipi and among other things he admonished them again, Rejoice! He said, I know you are going thru hard times Rejoice! He said, know the battle is rough Rejoice! I know you ve struggled in your faith Rejoice! I know there are controversies and troubles Rejoice! o Eleven times in four short chapters Paul commands the Phillipian church to rejoice! Have you ever wondered why Paul placed such an emphasis on Joy? o Because the Book of Acts tells us that joy characterized those who followed Jesus. After Philip preached in Samaria, the people believed and there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:8). After the work of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch, the diciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost (Acts 13:52). Paul and Barnabas reported the conversions to other believers, and they caused great joy unto all the brethren (Acts 15:3). After the conversion of the Philippian jailer, he rejoiced, believing in God with all his house (Acts 16:34). Paul s instruction the Phillipians was more than just a suggestion, it was an admonition Rejoice! o Paul understood that a rejoicing church is a victorious church. o Paul understood that a church that would rejoice in the Lord was a church that would have revival! So it was commanded to the church at Phillipi Rejoice! I believe that the Pentecostals of Lake City need hear it as well Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS! Joy Lets talk about joy. According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, spiritual joy is the happy state that results from knowing and serving God. o Several different Greek and Hebrew words are used in the Bible to convey the ideas of joy and rejoicing. Modern Day Book Of Acts Church Part 3 2

We have the same situation in English with many nearly synonymous words such as joy, happiness, pleasure, delight, gladness, and enjoyment. o The words joy and rejoice are the words used most often to translate the many Hebrew and Greek words for joy into English. Joy is found over 150 times in the Bible. If such words as joyous and joyful are included, the number comes to over 200. But the verb rejoice appears well over 200 times in scripture. I believe God wanted his people to rejoice! o Rejoicing is the fruit of a right relationship with God. It is not to be confused with carnal Joy, which is merely a state of feeling. Spiritual joy is a state of being! o It is not something people can create by their own efforts. It doesn t stem from human accomplishment or achievement. It finds its roots in a relationship with God. And, my friend, since it isn t given to us by the good times in this life, it can t be taken from us by the bad times! It doesn t come from carnal pleasures and it isn t taken away by the storms of this life. It is a joy that flows from God alone. The old songwriter said, the world didn t give it to me and the world can t take it away! o It is JOY beyond measure, in the good times and the bad. I m not talking about a fickle kind of happiness that changes with the circumstances. I m not talking about being up today and down tomorrow. This is JOY that is bubbling over on the inside. This is JOY that isn t affected by the outside. The spiritual joy of the Bible refers to an inward religious emotion, which absolutely has to come to outward expression. o It is something on the inside, which can t be contained, and overflows to the outside. It is uncontainable Joy! It is Joy that demands a voice. It is Joy that cannot be denied. It is joy that expresses itself in singing and shouting, In dancing and rejoicing. It is Joy that flows from God alone. And Paul understood that the you can take the pulse of apostolic church from a measure of it s outward expression of an inward joy. o You might say, Oh I just don t get emotional, I m excited on the inside, I just don t show on the outside. My friend, you didn t hear me, this Joy that God gives, cannot be contained. Modern Day Book Of Acts Church Part 3 3

It will always manifest itself on the outside. You can t hide, you can t contain it, it is joy unspeakable and FULL OF GLORY! My friend, it will not be denied! JOY is part of the character of a Book of Acts Church! It is the natural consequence of fellowship with God and can have only one result it will demonstrate itself in Rejoicing! o Rejoice! It is a delightful thing to realize that my life is in the hands of the Lord. o Rejoice! It is delightful thing to be able to trust that the footsteps of a good man are ordered by God! o Rejoice! It is a delightful thing to realize I don t have to worry and fret over all life s problems, I have only to rejoice in the one that watches over me! o Rejoice! It is a demonstrative joy. It is more than just peace or contentment; o it is the celebration of the fact that, even when the strong winds blow, I have a God that watches over my soul! I ve come to tell you today that you have a reason to celebrate! o I want to cut thru the confusion and doubt, I want to push past all the problems and worries and remind you that you are the Church of the Living God and you have a reason to celebrate! We are a Book of Acts Church! o When the world comes thru our doors they ought to find a church that is rejoicing! Sinners are attracted to Jesus by the rejoicing of the church! The discouraged are lifted up by the rejoicing of the church! The hopeless find hope in the rejoicing of the church! I come to you today with a simple message REJOICE! o You ever notice how there is something contagious about Joy? That s the way it should be every time that we come together. As one begins to rejoice, and then another, victory begins to flow! Rejoice In the Lord. Paul commanded the church to rejoice, but he didn t stop there. o Just in case there would be some that would say, what have I got to be happy about? Paul gave us the reason for our rejoicing. He said, Rejoice IN THE LORD! o You might not be able to rejoice because the bills are paid. But you can rejoice in the Lord! o You might not be able to rejoice because your loved one is healthy. But you can rejoice in the Lord! Modern Day Book Of Acts Church Part 3 4

o You might not be able to rejoice because everything is going good on the job. But you can rejoice in the Lord! o He ain t never, ever, been nothing but good to you! You may look across the landscape of your life and find nothing to rejoice about, that s OK my friend, because you can rejoice in the Lord. o As you rejoice in the Lord, he will step into your life! I m not calling you to rejoice in the temporal, I m not calling you to rejoice in the material, I m calling you to rejoice in the Lord! o Rejoice in the Lord, for He is good! o Rejoice in the Lord, the God of your salvation. o Rejoice in his many mighty good gifts in your life. Rejoice! You ve got a reason on this Sunday Afternoon to rejoice! You don t have to look any further than the presence of God. o Just the fact that we are here and he is here, we ve got a reason to celebrate. The key to that Book of Acts church, that turned the world upside down, is that the source of their joy wasn t in this old world. o That s why they could rejoice no matter what this life brought them. o That s why they could rejoice even at the peril of their lives. o That s why they rejoiced, even when they lost all that they ever had. Because their Joy was in the Lord. Paul set out to remind the church in Phillipi what he learned many years before, the church that finds it s joy in the Lord will be church that is constantly in revival. o A church that finds it s cause for celebration in the goodness of God, will never be turned aside by all that s wrong in this life. Hell can t handle a church that rejoices in the Lord. Hell can shut down a church that rejoices in prosperity. Hell can shut down a church that rejoices in physical health. Hell can destroy a church that rejoices in power, prestige or pride. But Hell can t handle a church that rejoices in the Lord! You want to take the measure of your walk with God? o The question today is how do you act when everything goes wrong? When there is nothing else to rejoice about, can you rejoice in the Lord? This is the key to apostolic victory, you can praise your way through obstacles, and trials because Hell can t stop a people that learn to rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord, Always. Paul goes on to command the church, Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS! Modern Day Book Of Acts Church Part 3 5

o Not just when you feel like it, not just when life is good, not just when you are on the mountain top. Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS! o When you don t have anything else to rejoice about, rejoice in the Lord. When you can t rejoice in other things, rejoice in the Lord. When you ve never known real joy, rejoice in the Lord. When you ve always rejoiced, rejoice in the Lord. When you are with believers, rejoice in the Lord. When you are in the presence of the lost, rejoice in the Lord. When you find yourself all alone, rejoice in the Lord. When you stand upon the mountain, rejoice! When you walk thru the valley, rejoice! o Wherever you find yourself, everywhere you find yourself, rejoice! There is never an excuse for coming to church and just sitting on a pew. o We are commanded to Rejoice in the Lord, always! There s no reason for you to hang your head and let the cares of this life bring you down, we are commanded to rejoice! o The Apostle Paul commanded the church to rejoice in the Lord at all times and under all circumstances. Let's not forget the historical setting behind this letter to the Church at Philippi. o The Apostle is imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel. He is under guard in the Imperial capital of Rome. o His case has already been heard and at any moment he expects a negative judgment to be rendered and his life to be forfeited. Yet he can say to the church, "Rejoice in the Lord always." o Throughout his ministry he suffered imprisonment, flogging, ship wreck, exposure to death, danger, hunger, thirst, fatigue, and cold (cf 2 Cor 11:23-29). Yet he can say, "Rejoice in the Lord always." Paul's own life situation is a commentary on this verse in front of us. o We know he means for us to rejoice in the Lord at all times and under all circumstances because this is exactly how he has lived his life. When Paul, with Silas, first preached the Gospel in Philippi, they were beaten, flogged, and thrown into prison with their feet fastened in stocks. "And at midnight," the Scripture says, "Paul and Silas sang praises unto God." Rejoice in the Lord, ALWAYS, he didn t just say it, he lived it. o It was the very fabric of that Book of Acts church! The Philippian Church was a Church filled with doubt and fear (Phil 1:28) set in the midst of a crooked and depraved generation (Phil 2:15). Yet Paul says to them, "Rejoice in the Lord always." Perhaps your life is filled with doubt and fear, perhaps you face struggles that no one else knows about, I have a message for you tonight Modern Day Book Of Acts Church Part 3 6

o Rejoice in the Lord, Always! Perhaps you ve grown weary and tired on the journey Rejoice! Perhaps you ve been inundated with problems and trials Rejoice! Perhaps bad luck and trouble are your constant companions Rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. o God doesn t repeat himself lightly. The words that issue from his mouth will not return void, they always accomplish their purpose. o However as the spirit of God moves upon Paul to write the admonition to the church to rejoice. o He moves upon Paul not just to give the command, but also to repeat it. How much more emphatic can you get than, Rejoice in the Lord Always. But just incase you were so mired in your pity party that you missed what he was saying, just in case some doubt or fear might try to rob you of his words, o God moves upon Paul to repeat himself Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say Rejoice! o It s almost as if he says, you might forget the rest of this letter but whatever you do, don t let this life rob you of your joy! Whatever else you forget, remember this: Be sure to rejoice Always! Close The church in Phillipi was an apostolic church that was established by the apostles. o However they were a church that fell on difficult times. o They were a church that struggled with the trials and burdens of this life. In all truthfulness, they were not all that far removed from us. o They were just common folks that served an uncommon God. o They had been called out of this world and into his marvelous light. But they had the same struggles that we have. They faced the same battles that you and I face. And, as Paul wrote to them, they were in danger of losing their apostolic identity as they wrestled with the things of this life. However, in the midst of their trials and troubles, Paul was anointed of God to remind them to Rejoice in the Lord! o He reminded them that the circumstances of one's life do not determine joy. Joy comes from God and belongs to God, it is the wellspring from which their worship flows! If you struggle in your worship, you need to ask God to renew your Joy! o I believe that the church today needs the same thing that the church in Phillipi needed. Modern Day Book Of Acts Church Part 3 7

We need God to restore our joy. We need God to make our worship fresh. How does that happen? o Let me tell you how. It happens when you make up your mind, I m gonna worship him, no matter how a I feel. I m going to rejoice in the Lord, no matter what is going on in my life. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" o Why don t you try him today and see? A prophet once said, Taste of the Lord and see that He is good. Need a little joy this afternoon? Taste of him and see. Need a little victory today? Rejoice in the Lord and see what he does. o Need an answer in your life o Need God to move some obstacles With Joy, the scripture says, shall you draw from the wells of salvation o James said I count it all joy Everything in my life. The Good and the Bad. I count it all Joy! "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! I think its time we had a good old-fashioned worship service! I think its time somebody thanked God for a little while. I think that, instead of throwing a pity party we should take a little while this afternoon and bless the Lord, for HE IS GOOD! We had quite a spread of food for thanksgiving. All kinds of food. But nobody made me eat it I helped myself. You are in the presence of God right now. There s strength here, there s peace here, there s fullness of joy here. o Nobody is going to force you to partake of it. But nobody is going to limit you either. You can have all you want. The question is how much do you want? Rejoice! Modern Day Book Of Acts Church Part 3 8