I’d like to ask you to picture a situation.
Imagine that you are in your last days of life, you know you are condemned to die but it’s an injustice. You didn’t commit any crime. You didn’t steal, didn’t kill, but you are being treated like a bad person. So, now, You have just a few days to live and you have an opportunity to write a letter to someone, you have an opportunity to say something to the world.
What would you do? What would you write on the paper?
I am giving time to you to think about what you would speak to the world.
Maybe you would use this opportunity to say that it’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s an injustice…
Isn’t it?
I want to share a true story with you.
There was a man who suffered a big injustice.
There was a man who was unjustly arrested. He was unjustly beaten, once to escape from bad guys he had to go down the wall in a basket, another time when he preached in a city called Antioch he was expelled, on a different day he was stoned in Lystra, he was flogged, arrested and tied with his feet on a log, he suffered shipwreck, was bitten by a poisonous snake… In his last days of life, he was unjustly imprisoned, far from his family and church. He then decided to write a letter. Do you know what He wrote?
I want to read it with you. You have an opportunity to read it now.
Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
Could you imagine that?
Paul was the author of this letter to the Philippians’. He used his last words to tell them not about his suffering, not about how it was not his fault. He didn’t ask them to take revenge. He wrote:
My dear brothers and sisters: Rejoice! And He said twice: Rejoice, be glad!
That’s a powerful message to us today! It doesn’t matter what you are facing, God is telling us: Rejoice! Be happy!
And the title of this message is: JOY IN THE CHAOS!
What does joy mean?
One of the meanings of joy is: A state of happiness or bliss.
We need joy to live in the midst of the chaos humanity is. Of course we will have hard days, dark nights in our lives, but we can trust that the Joy of the Lord is our strength.
Paul wrote this letter to the church of the Philippians.
Why did he write this letter?
He wrote it to give thanks for every help the church gave others.
He wrote to encourage them to fight against fake teachings.
He wrote to ask them to Rejoice, to be glad in whatever circumstance.
The Philippians’ Church had 3 social groups. The rich class, the middle class and the lower class. They had rich people like Lydia. Paul met her and He preached the gospel and she became a believer.
They had a Middle class like the jailer that Paul was used by God to save all his family.
They had poor people like the girl who was a slave of demons. She was delivered and became a believer.
What does that mean? Every social class can be saved by Jesus, every social class can be used by God, every social class can get joy, be glad in this life! You don’t need money, you don’t need status. What you need is to understand you can have joy in any circumstance!
Rejoice in the Lord! Paul told many times to that Church. Rejoice! It doesn’t mean that if they had some sad moment or if they felt discouraged they would be sinning. NO!
Many people judge others who are in sadness, or are discouraged by some situation…They should be helping those brothers who are in suffering. Sadness and discouragement are feelings that we will have to face some day, we will have to deal with them. It’s normal.
Jesus fee felt sad when he was on the mountain and He prayed: “Let this cup pass from me”
Jesus got angry when he saw many salespeople in God’s house.
Jesus was disappointed with the disciples on the mountain when they could not pray even for one hour…
But in all these things, Jesus didn’t sin. He showed his humanity, and He kept holy! He kept his joy!
In the moment that our feelings are unbalanced, we should always remember that we have to ask for strength from Jesus, we have to try to be like Him, meditate in His word and receive a renewal from God!
We have to have joy in the chaos! It’s not only our joy, but we have to get it from the Lord!
The bible says: “The Joy of The Lord is your strength”
Nehemiah 8:10b.
In this context, Neemiah told the people to share their food, be in fellowship, repent from their sins and be glad, because the Joy of The Lord is our strength. Hallelujah!
And now, I want to give some examples of joy and what it brings to our lives. We have benefits when we have joy! The Joy of the Lord!
1- Joy brings deliverance!
One day, Paul and Silas were in jail. They had chains on their bodies. They suffered, they were tired… But do you know what they were doing at midnight?
Look with me in:
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:25-26
Hallelujah! Look at the joy Jesus brings!
They had all excuses not to praise God. They were in jail, they were beaten, they were humiliated. But they decided to praise God, to show their joy to be persecuted for Jesus’ name!
Jesus said: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”Matthew 5:11,12.
Hallelujah! When we suffer for Jesus, we have to rejoice and be glad, because our reward is waiting for us in heaven!
Paul and Silas knew it. So, at midnight they were in jail praising God and God moved his powerful hand to deliver them.
My brother and sister, if you are in a prison, maybe it’s not a physical prision, but a spiritual prison, a prison in your mind, a prison of a circumstance that you don’t see how to be free of, I want to challenge you: Be glad! Praise God! Even if you have no strength, rejoice! Decide to stand up and praise God in the midst of the storm, and He will send an earthquake to shake the foundations of the prison you are in. The prison doors will be open, and every chain will come loose.
Are you in trouble? The joy of the Lord brings deliverance. Get this joy today!
2- Joy gives hope for tomorrow!
There is a famous bible verse that I’d like to read with you.
Psalms 30:5“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Psalm 30 is full of thanksgiving for the great deliverance received by the psalmist. He faced an illness that left him on the verge of death. Only God could deliver him. At first, the psalmist exalts God for a very specific reason: his life was wonderfully saved from the clutches of death.
For the Believers, all forms of difficulties, including illness, are only temporary issues.
Although the psalmist’s suffering was intense and deep enough to take him to the brink of death, it lasted for a short time, especially when compared to the amount of joy he received!
The bible says: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4.
When you are living a difficult time, a time of darkness in your life, be glad! You have to know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance! Persevere! This hard time will be over and joy will come tomorrow!
The Joy of the Lord gives hope for tomorrow! Weeping may stay for the night. Darkness will come against us. This is our life here on earth. We will face problems my brother, but take heart! As the weeping comes, it goes away. Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning!
Rejoicing is coming upon you. Don’t worry about tomorrow! God is preparing joyful days for you.
Joy brings hope for tomorrow! Put your hope in Jesus.
3- Joy is God’s restoration to your life!
King David wrote a psalm after he sinned against God. He made a big mistake, He fell into temptation and He repented. He was seeking forgiveness and restoration.
In Psalms 51 he said:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”
Psalms 51:10-12
When we sin against God we feel dirty, our spirit is broken, we are disappointed with ourselves and we need to be restored!
King David prayed: Create in me a pure heart, renew me!
He said: Restore the joy of your salvation!
My brothers, how is your heart?
Are you feeling the joy of salvation? When you read the bible, Do you feel joy?
If you read the bible and you don’t feel anything, something is wrong with you. Probably, you are losing the joy, the joy of salvation!
You need a restoration from God!
If you sinned, just repent, confess your sin and God will give you joy back!
If you were betrayed by friends, by life and you are hurt, ask God to be restored and He will give you joy back!
If your heart became a cold heart, your love for Jesus got cold, cry out to God as the psalmist did and ask God: Give me the Joy of salvation back! I need your joy upon my life! I need your restoration!
Joy is God’s restoration to your life!
When we talk about joy, we are talking about a joy that this world cannot offer to you.
Money cannot buy it! You cannot find it in people, parties, nothing of this world can bring eternal joy to you.
The bible says: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” Romans 14:17
We can only find this eternal joy in Jesus. His kingdom is full of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
My brothers! Stop to seek joy in the things of this world! Stop trying to be happy spending your money… Let God fill you with the true joy that comes from Jesus, let God restore you completely, and you will be able to experience a joy and peace that this world cannot give you.
Joy brings restoration over your life.
4- Joy makes you a thankful Person and leads you to trust God.
We read before what Paul said to the Philippian Church: Rejoice in the Lord!
Paul wrote that letter to give thanks to the Philippians. They helped him a lot and they also helped the Church of God of that time.
Joy makes us thankful people. Paul was in prison, but he found time and strength to give thanks to his brothers and sisters!
Dear, receive the joy of the Lord and be thankful.
Be thankful in God’s presence!
Give thanks to God for what he has done for you.
Give thanks to God for the perfect sacrifice of Jesus!
Give thanks to God for the salvation that He gave you!
Be thankful to the people around you!
Give thanks to those who are helping you or helped you in the past! Be thankful!
Give thanks to those who support you when you face troubles!
I’m so thankful for my family and also for my spiritual family. I’m so thankful for all my brothers and sisters from Shalom Church! They helped and still help me a lot. I always say thanks to them and I always bless everyone of them in my prayers!
Joy does that to you!
I have many friends who support me here in this mission. I always say thanks to them, and I always pray for them.
Joy does that!
We have to find time to be thankful even if we are facing hard days, even if we are in jail… Be glad!
The bible says:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13
Hallelujah! As you trust more in God, you are filled with joy and peace, and you will be able to overflow with hope and the power of the Holy Spirit.
So, dear:
Do not look at the circumstances, rejoice in the Lord!
Do not keep sadness in your heart, rejoice in the Lord!
Do not be paralysed by the hard situation you are facing, choose to rejoice in the Lord!
If you receive the Joy of the Lord today, you will experience deliverance! Be ready to receive freedom!
If you receive the Joy of the Lord today, you will get hope about tomorrow! Don’t be afraid. God is taking care of you!
If you receive the joy of the Lord today, you will be restored by God. Be ready to experience new days, because they are coming!
If you receive the joy of the Lord today, you’re gonna be thankful to everyone around you.
If you are in trouble, in a hard situation like the world is facing now, like this battle against this virus and all the consequences that we will face, if you have an opportunity to say something, do it like Paul: Say to everyone, Rejoice! Be glad! God is good, he is taking care of us, he never fails, and He will fill you with joy to overcome all things!
Rejoice in the Lord, I will say it again: Rejoice!