Gospel Bible Baptist Church

Rejoice in the Lord Always

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Rejoice in the Lord Always


Phil. 4:4
Introduction

What’s the difference between joy and happiness?
Happiness depends on circumstances—good events make us feel happy.
Joy is deeper. It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) and remains even in trials.
The Bible mentions “rejoice” 183 times—41 in the New Testament, 8 in Philippians.
Hymns like O Rejoice in the Lord reflect this theme.
Interestingly, 1 Thess. 5:16 (“Rejoice evermore”) is the shortest verse in NT Greek—not Jn. 11:35 (“Jesus wept”).
Rejoicing always is one of the hardest commands to obey.

I. What Does “Rejoice” Mean?
A. Webster: To feel joy and gladness in a high degree.
B. Biblical: To exult in God (Lev. 23:40; Matt. 5:12).
C. “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven…” – Matt. 5:12

II. The Command to Rejoice- Paul says: “Rejoice in the Lord alway”—keep being glad in Him.
A. Paul wrote this while imprisoned—yet he rejoiced because God never changes (Heb. 13:8).
B. Life changes, people change—but the Lord remains the same.
C. We rejoice in:

  1. His plan for us (Ps. 37:23)
  2. His promise to work all things for good (Rom. 8:28)
  3. His presence (Heb. 13:5)
  4. His victory (1 Cor. 15:57; Rom. 8:37)
  5. His eternal reward (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17)

III. Man’s Pursuit of Joy. Many seek joy in the wrong places:
A. Pleasure: Solomon had 1,000 wives but declared it all vanity (Eccl. 2:1; 1 Kings 11:3).
B. Military Glory: Alexander the Great wept—no more worlds to conquer.
C. Riches: Wealth doesn’t guarantee joy. Many rich people live in misery or die violently (Prov. 23:5; Heb. 11:25).
D. Fame: Celebrities and royals often live in scandal and regret.
E. Drugs & Alcohol: Temporary escape, lasting regret.
F. True Joy: Found only in Christ.

IV. Reasons Christians Can Rejoice
A. Our names are written in Heaven (Lk. 10:20)
B. Salvation (Ps. 13:5)
C. God’s protection (Ps. 63:7)
D. When souls are saved (Lk. 15:10; Ps. 126:5–6)
E. Serving the Lord (Neh. 12:43)
F. Fellowship with believers (Acts 2:40–47)
G. Prosperity and provision (Ps. 63:5)
H. Suffering for Christ (Acts 5:41)

V. Conclusion
Even when life isn’t happy, we can rejoice in the Lord. Joy is not about what’s happening around us—it’s about Who lives within us. Let us obey the command: “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”

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Message

Ifor

Welcome to GBBC website. Our mission is to glorify God, serve him with joy and gladness, most of all, to proclaim to the world that salvation can only be found in Jesus Christ. We worship God according to the Bible and we preach the Word of God using the King James Version only. May you be blessed in visiting us and we look forward to fellowship with you.

Our vision is growth, not only spiritually but also numerically.

The sermons are the work of a very busy man. It’s a product of much prayer and research and I do not claim originality in all of them. I cannot mention any more the works and the names of the Godly men whom I got the idea on what to write for they are plenty, and for that I apologize. In my regular study I use the soft wares like the Sword Searcher, PC Study Bible, Libronix, as well as the Way of life Literatures by David Cloud. If you find it a blessing, you can use it for your personal study or modify and use it to teach other people also. To God be the glory.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. Proverbs 3:5-7

His Servant,
Ptr. Ifor C. Gabasan

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