"Rejoice in the Lord Always" (Philippians 4)

"Rejoice in the Lord Ever": And then says Paul in our Epistle reading today. Actually? "Rejoice"? "E'er"? Are you kidding me? "Rejoice always"? That's easy for you to say, Paul. Yous don't know what I'thousand going through. If yous did, y'all wouldn't be telling me to rejoice always.

I hateful, come on! Await at all these bills I've got to pay! Rent, groceries, gasoline, maintenance on the car. Insurance: machine insurance, health insurance, insurance on my insurance. Taxes: federal, state, local, and sales taxes, plus the fee for my revenue enhancement preparer. Paying off the credit card. At the terminate of the month, in that location'southward more than month than money to go effectually!

And the doctors! Simply when y'all call up y'all're getting healthy, along comes something else: some new ache or pain, some new injury, some new disease yous didn't know you had. And the prescriptions! Have you seen the cost of prescriptions lately? Oy vey! I wonder if the cure is worse than the affliction!

My body is breaking down, and my marriage is breaking upwards. Yeah, there's all that relational stuff, as well. My kids don't talk to me as much as I'd like. My dominate is a jerk. And all the people I do similar–so many of them are not around anymore. They've moved away, or they've died. Gosh, I miss those folks!

"Rejoice always." Yes, right, Paul. And don't even get me started on what's going on in our world today. Hundreds of people shot, dozens of them killed, just while they're attending a concert. Hurricanes and floods. Wildfires out west. What's this world coming to? And you tell me to rejoice?

Well, yes, Paul does tell us to rejoice. He even doubles down on it: "Rejoice in the Lord always; once more I volition say, rejoice." Like in one case is not enough, he's got to say it once again.

What are you, Paul, some kind of a nut? Are y'all delusional? Do you accept your head and so far upwards in the clouds that you're not in touch with the existent world, the world where I alive? I guess that's what too much faith will do to you. You but put on this phony happy-face and disregard reality. "Rejoice e'er." Yeah, right, Paul. Easy for you to say. You don't know what I'1000 going through.

Or does he? Does Paul know what you're going through? And more than chiefly, does God know what you're going through? And was this and so like shooting fish in a barrel for Paul to say, to rejoice ever? Was Paul immune to suffering? Was he only some Stoic or Buddhist who blocked out negative feelings or unpleasant experiences similar they didn't be?

I don't think and then. I hateful, just read the Book of Acts. There you'll see all sorts of trials and afflictions Paul went through. Literal trials. Lots of afflictions. Lots of ache. Lots of persecution. Paul mentions these things at times in his letters. For instance, in 2 Corinthians 11, he recounts his labors, his imprisonments, his "countless beatings, and frequently near death." He says: "Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less i. Iii times I was browbeaten with rods. Once I was stoned. 3 times I was shipwrecked; a night and a 24-hour interval I was adrift at bounding main; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless dark, in hunger and thirst, oft without nutrient, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, in that location is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches."

And then yes, Paul did know suffering. He did know disease. And yet he is the same guy who tells the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." In fact, it was in Philippi, remember, when Paul get-go came there, that he and Silas were arrested and beaten and thrown into prison house, with their feet in the stocks. And what were they doing at midnight? Praying and singing hymns to God. And now, years afterward, Paul is in prison again, this time in Rome, as he's writing this letter to the Philippians. So Paul practiced what he preached about rejoicing in the Lord always. He didn't just talk the talk, he walked the walk.

How was he able to do this? How could Paul rejoice in the face up of so many difficult circumstances? Afterwards in this chapter, Philippians 4, he gives us a clue. He says: "I have learned in whatever situation I am to exist content. I know how to exist brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, affluence and need." What was this hush-hush that he learned? He tells us in the next poetry: "I tin can practice all things through him who strengthens me."

Paul is telling us that the secret to being content in whatever situation, the secret to being able to rejoice in any and every circumstance–the secret is this: Information technology is "through him who strengthens me." And that's Christ. This is why nosotros are content, this is why we rejoice: because of Christ.

Call back, Paul did not just say, "Rejoice e'er." No, he said, "Rejoice in the Lord always." "In the Lord," the Lord Jesus Christ. It is that Christ connection that makes the difference. Existence connected to Christ makes all the difference in the world. Jesus gives us a joy that the world cannot have away from us. Jesus gives us a joy that is greater than our circumstances. In Christ Jesus, we have a joy and a peace that passes all understanding.

How tin can this be and then? Because Jesus has made peace for us by his death on the cross. There the Lord God laid on him, on Jesus, the sins of the world, your sins and mine. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Peace with God again is made. No longer does God hold our sins against the states. No longer are we sentenced to hell, under God's eternal judgment. No, now the judgment is lifted. Jesus took information technology for u.s.. Now the gates of heaven are opened. Now new life and eternal life are given us a gift. Jesus is risen from the dead and lives forever. And we are joined to Christ through faith and in Holy Baptism.

This changes everything. At present we have the sure hope of everlasting life. This is something that is rock-solid certain, no matter what happens to us. Now we practice have a cause for joy in any and every circumstance. In the Lord we have peace. In the Lord we have hope. In the Lord we take joy. No thing what. And so this is why Paul tin can tell us today: "Rejoice in the Lord e'er; once more I will say, rejoice."

Only what near when we exercise take problems? What near those days when the sunday is non shining for us? What practise we do so? Yeah, Pastor, I know you'll say, "Rejoice anyways," but what else? Well, Paul does tell united states what else to do in those situations: "Do not exist broken-hearted about annihilation, just in everything past prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." See, now that we are his baptized children, we accept admission to God and his throne of grace through Christ. Your dear Begetter hears your prayers. Does God know what you are going through? You bet he does! Your heavenly Father cares for you more than than he does for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. And look at how he clothes and feeds them! Are you not of more value than they? Yes, you are! God sent his Son to die on a cross for you! What greater love is there than that? God knows and cares for you lot in all the afflictions you lot are going though. And he will go on you lot and strengthen you as you're going through them.

And then today, dear friends, we are wrapping upward our four-week series on Philippians. We started out with Paul calling his relationship with the Philippians "A Joyful Gospel Partnership." Then in chapter two, he spoke of "The Joy of Beingness of the Same Mind, the Mind of Christ." Last week Paul expressed "The Joy of Knowing Christ" and the power of his resurrection. And with all that in mind, all those reasons for rejoicing, today Paul wraps united states his letter past calling us to "Rejoice in the Lord Always." Truly nosotros have seen that this epistle to the Philippians is rightly called "The Epistle of Joy."

Joy running throughout, from start to finish! That'south true not merely of this letter, it'southward true also of our lives. Joy running throughout, from beginning to finish. Merely the cease, the stop of our cursory pilgrimage here on earth–that will just be the outset of a whole new rejoicing that will last forever. Joy unspeakable and full of glory!

Until that 24-hour interval, when Christ comes again, "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ exist with your spirit." Amen.

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