Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome the Blessings in Christ. I'm Scott Roberts. Blessings in
Christ is also the Church of Christ preaching the Gospel
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Of he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved. God is the Spirit,
and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit
and in truth.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
John four and verse twenty four.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
The Church of Christ is a group of Christians striving
to follow the pattern of worship found in the Word
of God. We follow and preach the same doctrine that
the Holy Spirit gave the apostles. They preach the Word
of God with boldness and spake the things given to
them by the Holy Spirit. We now preach the entire
Word of God and do not change what is written
(00:40):
in God's Word. We do not add or take away
from what the Bible says. Our goal is to simply
be Christians who are pleasing to God. We do not
claim to be perfect, but we are sanctified as God's
chosen people, set apart to glorify Christ and to increase
His kingdom. The Church of Christ. We strive to serve
(01:01):
the Lord every day for our entire life. We are
not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, whereas the power
of God under salvation Jesus is the foundation of the
Church of Christ. One Corinthians three and verse eleven. He
purchased it with his blood. Acts twenty and verse twenty eight.
Jesus makes the statement, if you love me, keep my
commandments John fourteen and verse fifteen. The only way to
(01:25):
become a member of the Church of Christ built to
obey God's plan of salvation is to be added to
the church by hearing, believing, repenting, confession, and water baptism.
In Acts eight, verses thirty two through thirty eight. Our
lesson today is by James Mills from the Baltimore, Ohio
(01:45):
Church of Christ. He's bringing us a wonderful lesson on
rejoice evermore. In one Thessalonians five and verse sixteen we
simply read rejoice evermore. It is a sermon on Christians
need to be happy, and not only happy, but we
need to rejoice evermore. And in verse Dusalonians five and
(02:07):
verse seventeen, pray without ceasing. This is a sermon on
happiness and rejoicing evermore. As Christians, we hope that you
enjoy a lesson and please like us on Facebook.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Thank you this morning.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
What I want to do before we get started here,
I'd like to see everyone give me a nice smile.
And whatever it takes to come up with that thought.
I know it may be hard for some of us,
but I'd like to see everyone give.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
A smile this morning.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
When we look at a smile, it tells us a
lot about someone, right.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
And when you see someone smiling, he lets you know
that there's something going on with that person that's causing
them to either be happy, or they feel good, or
they're just excited and they're full of joy at that moment.
So we can learn a lot from from someone when
we notice that they have a smile on their face.
(03:04):
And the thing about a smile is it's very contagious,
you know, if you ever noticed, if you're around a
group of people and if all of them are smiling
and happy, it causes.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
You to smile, right, and vice versa.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
If you smile when you're around people, it causes them
to smile. Try it out sometime when you're maybe walking
by someone on a sidewalk, passing someone in a hallway
in a building, if you are smiling at that person,
then nine times out of ten, that person will smile back, right,
(03:40):
because they realize that you must be happy, and you're
full of joy and you're smiling. So that causes that person,
whether they meet it or not, they will give you
a smile back. So a smile is very contagious. A
smile can tell us a lot about a person. You
can realize what's going on right at that moment with
(04:02):
that person, that they are happy about something.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Right, they're full of joy in God's word.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
When you turn over to First Tessalonians, turn over with me,
if you would the.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
First Thessalonians, chapter five.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
One of go over to when Paul was talking to
those at Thessalonia, chapter five and verse sixteen, Rejoice evermore,
pray without ceasing.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
How many times have.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
We heard a sermon or we've talked about praying without ceasing?
Never stop praying, right, but we forget about the verse
that comes before that, Rejoice evermore. In other words, as Christians,
we have a commandment.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Brothers and sisters, we are.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Commanded to have joy and happiness, not just sometimes, not
just when we want to feel happy, not just when
we want to smile about something. But we have a
commandment to rejoice, always, rejoice always. We are to always
(05:18):
be full of joy and to be happy as Christians. Now,
the problem that we have today, and I'm sure most
of you will agree that we have too many Christians.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
That don't have that joy in their life? Right? Do
you see smiles?
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Do you see smiles in Christians everyday life as they
go through this journey?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
How about when we come together to worship God in
spirit and of truth?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Do we always see that smile on our fellow brothers
and sisters as Christians? What about when we're singing as
we're commanded to sing praises to God.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Lift up her voice? Where is that joy? Where is
that smile?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Where is that happiness? That we as Christians can agree
that we're falling short when it comes to the commandment
of always, always being full of joy and always rejoicing,
we're falling a little bit short. What about when we
(06:25):
open the scripture and open the Word of God? Are
we excited? Are we full of joy? Do we have
that smile? Are we rejoicing that we actually get to
open up the Word of God and study together as
brothers and sisters in Christ? Where has all the joy
(06:45):
and the rejoicing goal from the Christians in today's world.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
We're going to look at.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
That in the next few minutes and we're going to
try to figure out just why, as Christians we're not
happy anymore?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Right?
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Where is the happiness? Where is the joy? Why are
we not always wearing that smile that we should be
wearing as Christians? First of all, we need to understand
just what joy is.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
What is joy?
Speaker 4 (07:15):
When we look up the definition of joy, we see
that it is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
In other words, we need to understand just what we're
supposed to feel. We're supposed to feel joy. But if
we don't know what that is, what is that feeling?
We need to understand that that is something that makes
us happy, that's something that gives us great pleasure. Now
(07:40):
we need to understand that there's a value of value
placed on joy. In other words, for example, if I
came to you and I gave you a penny, is
that going to put a big smile on your faith?
If I say here, I would like for you to
have this pen, I'm gonna be excited about a penny.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Right?
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Do you think you might smile because you think it's
funny that brother James's offered me a penny. Now, if
I brought you one hundred dollars bill and I said, here,
I would like to give you one hundred dollar bill,
I think we're gonna have a maybe a little bit
of a grin.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Right, a little smile. Brother James's given me one hundred
dollars bill.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So there's a value in the joy that you feel,
depending on the size of the gift or the size
of the feeling depends on.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
That gives you.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
The sense of how joyful that you're gonna be. Now,
if I gave you a thousand dollars and I said, oh,
here's one thousand dollars, you're gonna jump up and down right,
You're gonna be excited.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
That will put a smile on your face. I'm gonna said, Wow,
I've got a thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
As opposed to that penny, that penny didn't mean anything
to you, right, That penny didn't give you excite, That
penny didn't give you joy, That penny didn't make you smile,
That peny didn't give you It didn't amount to anything
when you looked at that peny. But that thousand dollars.
Suppose I brought you a set of keys and said
there's a new car out in the parking lot, and
(09:16):
I'm gifting.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You this new car. You're going to be extremely, extremely
full of.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Joy, right, happiness until you realize you've got to buy
the gas to put in that car.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
So, when we talk about feeling rejoiced, feeling joyful, and
being happy, we've got to understand that there's a value
placed on what we are being given or what we
are receiving, contributes to how joyful we're going to be. Right, So,
(09:51):
as Christians, we need to understand what's being given to
us right before we can actually.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Have joy and happiness. We need to understand what's being
given to us. When you turn over to the Book
of James.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Turnover to James chapter one. Turn over to James chapter one,
and we'll go to verse seventeen. Every good gift, Notice,
every good gift and every perfect gift.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Is what from above.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
And coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Every good gift,
every perfect gift, until we understand as Christians that everything
we have, everything that we all.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Our food, our clothing, our shelter.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Every good, good notice, and every perfect gift what comes
from God comes from above. Now when you understand that
and you realize just what we.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Have is all because of God, then.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Not until then, when we understand that that's something to
have joy about.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
That's something that puts.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
A smile on our face, realizing that without God we
would have nothing. Now above and beyond all of our food, clothing, shelter,
every good and perfect gift, this building that we have here,
that we've came together to worship.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
God in spiriting and truth.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Above all that that's been given to us, there's one thing,
one thing that is above all, and that is what
the gift of eternal life.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Turnover to Romans.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Romans chapter six, and we go to verse twenty three,
Roman verse twenty two and twenty three. But now being
made free from sin and become servants to God, ye
have your fruit into holiness.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
And the what.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
The end ever lasting life for the wages of sin
is death.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
But the gift, notice.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
This is the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
So above all good and perfect gifts that's given to us.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
By God, he has given us eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Our Lord. How can you not be full of joy
and happiness?
Speaker 4 (12:57):
How can this not cause you to smile realizing that
when this life is done with you, when this short
life on earth is done with you, you have been
blessed with an opportunity of eternal life.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
With Christ for an eternity.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
That is a gift that has been given to each
and every person here on this earth. So, as Christians,
we need to understand that we have been given everything
by God, and we've especially been gifted what eternal life.
And in that gift, that gift that's been given to us,
this causes us to be free from sin, free from sin.
(13:40):
You can be free from sin because of this gift
that's been given to us. This will cause us to
have a fellowship with God. You can have a relationship,
you can talk to God through prayer. Once we obey
the gospel through Christ, through Christ, then all that sin
(14:01):
has washed away, and then we have a fellowship, we
have a relationship with God Almighty. Until we realize that
and understand just how important that gift is, we're.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Not gonna feel that happiness. We're not gonna feel that joy.
It's gonna be like we receive that penny.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Right, until we understand just what's being given to us,
we're not gonna have.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
That smile on her face.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
We're gonna look at it as that penny when we
understand just wants to stake. Just understand that on judgment
Day we're gonna stand before God and we're gonna be
judging if we haven't obeyed the gospel and become a
child of God. If we don't have that relationship, if
we don't accept that gift that God has given us
(14:52):
eternal life, then we will need it told to depart
from me. Ye that what we're iniquity. Until we understand
exactly what we've been blessed with, we're not gonna smile.
We're not gonna have that joy. Maybe that's what's wrong
with Christians today. Maybe after we've obeyed the gospel, maybe
(15:17):
after we've lived the Christian life for a little while,
it's become boring. Right, Maybe it doesn't matter anymore because
we think we're okay, we think we're all right.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
There's nothing we can do wrong that's not gonna cause
us to go to heaven. So we don't have that
smile anymore. We don't have that joy.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
We don't have that excitement when we come together to
worship as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
We don't have that fire. Once we obeyed the Gospel.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
We were excited, right, we were happy, full of joy
because we understood at that moment that our sins were
washed away and we become a new creature and we're
all fire for God. But after a few years, after
we get a little older, it just becomes natural.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Right.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
We go to church on Sunday, we say, we pray,
we go home. Then we go throughout the week we
forget all about God. Where is the joy? Where is
the rejoicing? Where is the happiness that we as Christians
(16:31):
should be showy because of the gift? Turnover to Acts
chapter eight. Take your bibles and turn over to Acts
chapter eight. I want to show you an example of
just what I'm talking about with the Ethiopian Unich Acts
chapter eight, beginning with verse twenty seven, and here ose
(16:55):
and win and behold a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch
of great authority. Under can this Queen of the Ethiopians,
who had the charge of all her treasure and had
come to Jerusalem for to worship was returning and sitting
in his chariot read Isaiah the prophet. The spirit said
it to Philip, go there, join thyself to this chariot.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Philip ran He ran thinther to him.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
He heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, understand
thou what thou readest? He said, how can I except
some man should guide me? He desired Philip that he
would come up and sit with him. The place of
the scripture which he read was this. He was led
as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb,
dumb before his sheer so opened he gnaw his.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Mouth in his humiliation. His judgment was taken away?
Speaker 4 (17:50):
And who shall the Clary's generation, for his life is
taken from the earth.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
The eunuch answered.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Philip had said, I pray thee of whom speaketh the
prophet is of himself or of some other man?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Who's he talking about? Philip? The eunuch was concerned. I'm
reading this, but I don't understand what is the prophet
talking about? Who is he talking about? Philip?
Speaker 4 (18:19):
In verse thirty five, he opened his mouth and began
at the same scripture and preached.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
What did he preach?
Speaker 4 (18:25):
He preached unto him Jesus. They went on their way
that came into a certain water. The unich said, see
here is water, what doth tender.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Me to be baptized? Automatically?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
We see what the eunuch understood about baptism. Philip said,
verse thirty seven. If thou believest all that heart, thou
mayst He answered, and said, listen, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the son of God. At that moment, after
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Philip explained to him that this person that the prophet
is talking about is Jesus, when he realized that gift,
when the eunuch understood, when he understood that Jesus, Jesus
was his hope of eternal life, and he realized that
(19:28):
gift at that moment, did you see that joy? Did
you see the happiness? He's not what hinders me from
being baptized. There's water right here, excitement, joy. He understood
the gift of Jesus.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
And what did Philip say? Philip said, if you believe,
if you believe with.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
All your heart, he said, then there's nothing stopping you
from being receiving this gift being baptized. And he said,
I believe he made that great confession. I believe that
Jesus Christ is the son of God. Verse thirty eight.
He commanded the chariot to stand still. They went down
(20:16):
both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch. And
what he baptized in now verse thirty nine is really important.
When they were coming up out of the water, spirit
of the Lord called away Philip that the eunuch saw
(20:37):
him no more.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
And what he went on his way was it? Tell
us what did he do?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
He went on his way rejoicing, rejoicing. He had just
received the gift of Christ. He had just been baptized
into the water, great baptism. He realized at that moment
that he had been gifted, gifted a remission of sin,
(21:08):
and he was a new creature, a new man.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
So what did he do? He takes off rejoicing. That's
that joy, that's that happiness. That's that commandment that we
are given today as well. Are we keeping that commandment?
It's no less than any other commandment.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt
not lie. None of those commandments are any better than rejoicing, evermore, rejoice,
evermore commanded. Now The problem is, as we mentioned it
(21:47):
to start as questions. Today we have a problem with
realizing just what we've been given right and now we
take it for granted, take it for granted. It's over
and done with. Right, we were baptized. Are we going
on our way rejoicing? Why do we refuse to continue
(22:14):
to rejoice and be happy about being a child of God?
Where is that smile? Where is that happiness? Where is
that rejoicing?
Speaker 2 (22:26):
What happened to the fire that was there when we
once obeyed?
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Have we lost it? Does it matter to us anymore?
Turnover to Isaiah. Please turnover to Isaiah chapter fifty nine.
Go to Isaiah chapter fifty nine, and I want to
go with verses one through two.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
That it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it
cannot hear.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
But there that we're but verse two. But your iniquities.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you. What that he will
not hear? So here's the problem. We found the problem.
This is why there's no more joy, no more happiness,
(23:44):
no more smiles to us as Christians, is because we
let the world convince us that it's no big deal
to have sin in your life. Right, it's no big deal,
it's not a problem. It's not gonna cause you not
to go to heaven. It's not gonna cause you to
(24:05):
lose your soul. Isaiah tells us, though, what that your
iniquities noticed has separated you from God? But what happens
is we listen to the world, We listen to our friends,
we listen to our family. Those that tell us it
(24:26):
doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Really, do you think that's a big deal. It's not
gonna hurt you. It's just a little something, right, Why
does it matter?
Speaker 4 (24:41):
How many times have you heard your friends, your family, relatives,
people that you know, try to convince you.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
They try to convince you that it's okay, it's all right.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
And what happens why because they know that they're not
in the right boat, right, They're in a ship that's seeking,
and they want to pull you a come on my boat,
get on my ship. And you're like, no, I'm on
the boat of heaven, you know, And they convince you
(25:20):
to get on their boat.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Oh, it's so much better over here on my boat. Right.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
When when you get in that boat, realize that all
those holes.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
In that boat, that boat is going to sink. That
boat is going to sink. But they will convince you
that it's okay. They will convince you that it's okay.
Roman six twenty three.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Remember when we read it, the first of the lesson
the wages of sin is what death.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
The wages of sin is dead.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Now if you want to turn over the Revelations chapter
twenty one, Revelations.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Chapter twenty one, and I want to go to verse eight.
But the fearful.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
And unbelieving notice, and the abominable, and murderers and hormongers,
and sorcerers and adulatures and all liars shall have their
part in the lake which burnots with fire and brimstone,
(26:34):
which is not the second death until we understand and
realize that sin separated us from God, and any sin
will separate you from God.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Your iniquities will cause you to be separated from God.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
And those sins and those in the when he's those
transgressions against God's word will cause you to lose your soul,
will cause you to burn in.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
That lake of fire. That we read about fire and brimstone,
is that something that rejoice about? I don't think so.
Will that put a smile on your face? I don't
think so. Will that cause happiness in your life? I
don't think so. I hope not. Galatians chapter five.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Please turn over with me to Galatians chapter five, Versus
nineteen through twenty one. Now, the works of the flesh
are manifest. That is, it's simple to see. It's visible.
We can understand this. That's what it means. Which are
(28:01):
these adultery, fornication, uncleanness, liciousness, idaughtry, witchcraft, hatred, various emulations, right, strife, seditions,
here sees endings, mirators, drunkness, reddlings, and.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Such like such like. Let me read the words such
like after reading all of.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
That, transgression against God, such like pretty much takes care
of anything. Anything that appears not to be godly is
in that category such like of the which I tell
(28:46):
you before, as I have also told you a time past,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the
Kingdom of God. Anything that transgresses against God's Word, God's teachings,
God's commandments. Anything that goes against what we can find
(29:11):
in the word of God.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Brothers than sisters, and such like will not inherit the
Kingdom of God.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
As Christians, if we don't understand situation that we're living
in today, we're never gonna feel rejoiced, We're never gonna
feel happiness, We're never gonna have a smile inner face.
Why but because we're not living anymore for God.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
It's a tragedy, a tragedy life
Welcome the Blessings in Christ. I'm Scott Roberts. Blessings in
Christ is also the Church of Christ preaching the Gospel
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Of he that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved. God is the Spirit,
and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit
and in truth.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
John four and verse twenty four.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
The Church of Christ is a group of Christians striving
to follow the pattern of worship found in the Word
of God. We follow and preach the same doctrine that
the Holy Spirit gave the apostles. They preach the Word
of God with boldness and spake the things given to
them by the Holy Spirit. We now preach the entire
Word of God and do not change what is written
(00:40):
in God's Word. We do not add or take away
from what the Bible says. Our goal is to simply
be Christians who are pleasing to God. We do not
claim to be perfect, but we are sanctified as God's
chosen people, set apart to glorify Christ and to increase
His kingdom. The Church of Christ. We strive to serve
(01:01):
the Lord every day for our entire life. We are
not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, whereas the power
of God under salvation Jesus is the foundation of the
Church of Christ. One Corinthians three and verse eleven. He
purchased it with his blood. Acts twenty and verse twenty eight.
Jesus makes the statement, if you love me, keep my
commandments John fourteen and verse fifteen. The only way to
(01:25):
become a member of the Church of Christ built to
obey God's plan of salvation is to be added to
the church by hearing, believing, repenting, confession, and water baptism.
In Acts eight, verses thirty two through thirty eight. Our
lesson today is by James Mills from the Baltimore, Ohio
(01:45):
Church of Christ. He's bringing us a wonderful lesson on
rejoice evermore. In one Thessalonians five and verse sixteen we
simply read rejoice evermore. It is a sermon on Christians
need to be happy, and not only happy, but we
need to rejoice evermore. And in verse Dusalonians five and
(02:07):
verse seventeen, pray without ceasing. This is a sermon on
happiness and rejoicing evermore. As Christians, we hope that you
enjoy a lesson and please like us on Facebook.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Thank you this morning.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
What I want to do before we get started here,
I'd like to see everyone give me a nice smile.
And whatever it takes to come up with that thought.
I know it may be hard for some of us,
but I'd like to see everyone give.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
A smile this morning.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
When we look at a smile, it tells us a
lot about someone, right.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
And when you see someone smiling, he lets you know
that there's something going on with that person that's causing
them to either be happy, or they feel good, or
they're just excited and they're full of joy at that moment.
So we can learn a lot from from someone when
we notice that they have a smile on their face.
(03:04):
And the thing about a smile is it's very contagious,
you know, if you ever noticed, if you're around a
group of people and if all of them are smiling
and happy, it causes.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
You to smile, right, and vice versa.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
If you smile when you're around people, it causes them
to smile. Try it out sometime when you're maybe walking
by someone on a sidewalk, passing someone in a hallway
in a building, if you are smiling at that person,
then nine times out of ten, that person will smile back, right,
(03:40):
because they realize that you must be happy, and you're
full of joy and you're smiling. So that causes that person,
whether they meet it or not, they will give you
a smile back. So a smile is very contagious. A
smile can tell us a lot about a person. You
can realize what's going on right at that moment with
(04:02):
that person, that they are happy about something.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Right, they're full of joy in God's word.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
When you turn over to First Tessalonians, turn over with me,
if you would the.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
First Thessalonians, chapter five.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
One of go over to when Paul was talking to
those at Thessalonia, chapter five and verse sixteen, Rejoice evermore,
pray without ceasing.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
How many times have.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
We heard a sermon or we've talked about praying without ceasing?
Never stop praying, right, but we forget about the verse
that comes before that, Rejoice evermore. In other words, as Christians,
we have a commandment.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Brothers and sisters, we are.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
Commanded to have joy and happiness, not just sometimes, not
just when we want to feel happy, not just when
we want to smile about something. But we have a
commandment to rejoice, always, rejoice always. We are to always
(05:18):
be full of joy and to be happy as Christians. Now,
the problem that we have today, and I'm sure most
of you will agree that we have too many Christians.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
That don't have that joy in their life? Right? Do
you see smiles?
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Do you see smiles in Christians everyday life as they
go through this journey?
Speaker 2 (05:43):
How about when we come together to worship God in
spirit and of truth?
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Do we always see that smile on our fellow brothers
and sisters as Christians? What about when we're singing as
we're commanded to sing praises to God.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Lift up her voice? Where is that joy? Where is
that smile?
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Where is that happiness? That we as Christians can agree
that we're falling short when it comes to the commandment
of always, always being full of joy and always rejoicing,
we're falling a little bit short. What about when we
(06:25):
open the scripture and open the Word of God? Are
we excited? Are we full of joy? Do we have
that smile? Are we rejoicing that we actually get to
open up the Word of God and study together as
brothers and sisters in Christ? Where has all the joy
(06:45):
and the rejoicing goal from the Christians in today's world.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
We're going to look at.
Speaker 4 (06:52):
That in the next few minutes and we're going to
try to figure out just why, as Christians we're not
happy anymore?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Right?
Speaker 4 (06:59):
Where is the happiness? Where is the joy? Why are
we not always wearing that smile that we should be
wearing as Christians? First of all, we need to understand
just what joy is.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
What is joy?
Speaker 4 (07:15):
When we look up the definition of joy, we see
that it is a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
In other words, we need to understand just what we're
supposed to feel. We're supposed to feel joy. But if
we don't know what that is, what is that feeling?
We need to understand that that is something that makes
us happy, that's something that gives us great pleasure. Now
(07:40):
we need to understand that there's a value of value
placed on joy. In other words, for example, if I
came to you and I gave you a penny, is
that going to put a big smile on your faith?
If I say here, I would like for you to
have this pen, I'm gonna be excited about a penny.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Right?
Speaker 4 (08:02):
Do you think you might smile because you think it's
funny that brother James's offered me a penny. Now, if
I brought you one hundred dollars bill and I said, here,
I would like to give you one hundred dollar bill,
I think we're gonna have a maybe a little bit
of a grin.
Speaker 2 (08:20):
Right, a little smile. Brother James's given me one hundred
dollars bill.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
So there's a value in the joy that you feel,
depending on the size of the gift or the size
of the feeling depends on.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
That gives you.
Speaker 4 (08:36):
The sense of how joyful that you're gonna be. Now,
if I gave you a thousand dollars and I said, oh,
here's one thousand dollars, you're gonna jump up and down right,
You're gonna be excited.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
That will put a smile on your face. I'm gonna said, Wow,
I've got a thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
As opposed to that penny, that penny didn't mean anything
to you, right, That penny didn't give you excite, That
penny didn't give you joy, That penny didn't make you smile,
That peny didn't give you It didn't amount to anything
when you looked at that peny. But that thousand dollars.
Suppose I brought you a set of keys and said
there's a new car out in the parking lot, and
(09:16):
I'm gifting.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
You this new car. You're going to be extremely, extremely
full of.
Speaker 4 (09:22):
Joy, right, happiness until you realize you've got to buy
the gas to put in that car.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
So, when we talk about feeling rejoiced, feeling joyful, and
being happy, we've got to understand that there's a value
placed on what we are being given or what we
are receiving, contributes to how joyful we're going to be. Right, So,
(09:51):
as Christians, we need to understand what's being given to
us right before we can actually.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Have joy and happiness. We need to understand what's being
given to us. When you turn over to the Book
of James.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
Turnover to James chapter one. Turn over to James chapter one,
and we'll go to verse seventeen. Every good gift, Notice,
every good gift and every perfect gift.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Is what from above.
Speaker 4 (10:31):
And coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom
is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Every good gift,
every perfect gift, until we understand as Christians that everything
we have, everything that we all.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Our food, our clothing, our shelter.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
Every good, good notice, and every perfect gift what comes
from God comes from above. Now when you understand that
and you realize just what we.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Have is all because of God, then.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Not until then, when we understand that that's something to
have joy about.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
That's something that puts.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
A smile on our face, realizing that without God we
would have nothing. Now above and beyond all of our food, clothing, shelter,
every good and perfect gift, this building that we have here,
that we've came together to worship.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
God in spiriting and truth.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Above all that that's been given to us, there's one thing,
one thing that is above all, and that is what
the gift of eternal life.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
Turnover to Romans.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Romans chapter six, and we go to verse twenty three,
Roman verse twenty two and twenty three. But now being
made free from sin and become servants to God, ye
have your fruit into holiness.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
And the what.
Speaker 4 (12:19):
The end ever lasting life for the wages of sin
is death.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
But the gift, notice.
Speaker 4 (12:29):
This is the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
So above all good and perfect gifts that's given to us.
Speaker 4 (12:43):
By God, he has given us eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Our Lord. How can you not be full of joy
and happiness?
Speaker 4 (12:57):
How can this not cause you to smile realizing that
when this life is done with you, when this short
life on earth is done with you, you have been
blessed with an opportunity of eternal life.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
With Christ for an eternity.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
That is a gift that has been given to each
and every person here on this earth. So, as Christians,
we need to understand that we have been given everything
by God, and we've especially been gifted what eternal life.
And in that gift, that gift that's been given to us,
this causes us to be free from sin, free from sin.
(13:40):
You can be free from sin because of this gift
that's been given to us. This will cause us to
have a fellowship with God. You can have a relationship,
you can talk to God through prayer. Once we obey
the gospel through Christ, through Christ, then all that sin
(14:01):
has washed away, and then we have a fellowship, we
have a relationship with God Almighty. Until we realize that
and understand just how important that gift is, we're.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
Not gonna feel that happiness. We're not gonna feel that joy.
It's gonna be like we receive that penny.
Speaker 4 (14:22):
Right, until we understand just what's being given to us,
we're not gonna have.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
That smile on her face.
Speaker 4 (14:31):
We're gonna look at it as that penny when we
understand just wants to stake. Just understand that on judgment
Day we're gonna stand before God and we're gonna be
judging if we haven't obeyed the gospel and become a
child of God. If we don't have that relationship, if
we don't accept that gift that God has given us
(14:52):
eternal life, then we will need it told to depart
from me. Ye that what we're iniquity. Until we understand
exactly what we've been blessed with, we're not gonna smile.
We're not gonna have that joy. Maybe that's what's wrong
with Christians today. Maybe after we've obeyed the gospel, maybe
(15:17):
after we've lived the Christian life for a little while,
it's become boring. Right, Maybe it doesn't matter anymore because
we think we're okay, we think we're all right.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
There's nothing we can do wrong that's not gonna cause
us to go to heaven. So we don't have that
smile anymore. We don't have that joy.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
We don't have that excitement when we come together to
worship as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
We don't have that fire. Once we obeyed the Gospel.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
We were excited, right, we were happy, full of joy
because we understood at that moment that our sins were
washed away and we become a new creature and we're
all fire for God. But after a few years, after
we get a little older, it just becomes natural.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Right.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
We go to church on Sunday, we say, we pray,
we go home. Then we go throughout the week we
forget all about God. Where is the joy? Where is
the rejoicing? Where is the happiness that we as Christians
(16:31):
should be showy because of the gift? Turnover to Acts
chapter eight. Take your bibles and turn over to Acts
chapter eight. I want to show you an example of
just what I'm talking about with the Ethiopian Unich Acts
chapter eight, beginning with verse twenty seven, and here ose
(16:55):
and win and behold a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch
of great authority. Under can this Queen of the Ethiopians,
who had the charge of all her treasure and had
come to Jerusalem for to worship was returning and sitting
in his chariot read Isaiah the prophet. The spirit said
it to Philip, go there, join thyself to this chariot.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Philip ran He ran thinther to him.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
He heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, understand
thou what thou readest? He said, how can I except
some man should guide me? He desired Philip that he
would come up and sit with him. The place of
the scripture which he read was this. He was led
as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb,
dumb before his sheer so opened he gnaw his.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Mouth in his humiliation. His judgment was taken away?
Speaker 4 (17:50):
And who shall the Clary's generation, for his life is
taken from the earth.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
The eunuch answered.
Speaker 4 (17:59):
Philip had said, I pray thee of whom speaketh the
prophet is of himself or of some other man?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Who's he talking about? Philip? The eunuch was concerned. I'm
reading this, but I don't understand what is the prophet
talking about? Who is he talking about? Philip?
Speaker 4 (18:19):
In verse thirty five, he opened his mouth and began
at the same scripture and preached.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
What did he preach?
Speaker 4 (18:25):
He preached unto him Jesus. They went on their way
that came into a certain water. The unich said, see
here is water, what doth tender.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
Me to be baptized? Automatically?
Speaker 4 (18:42):
We see what the eunuch understood about baptism. Philip said,
verse thirty seven. If thou believest all that heart, thou
mayst He answered, and said, listen, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the son of God. At that moment, after
(19:07):
Philip explained to him that this person that the prophet
is talking about is Jesus, when he realized that gift,
when the eunuch understood, when he understood that Jesus, Jesus
was his hope of eternal life, and he realized that
(19:28):
gift at that moment, did you see that joy? Did
you see the happiness? He's not what hinders me from
being baptized. There's water right here, excitement, joy. He understood
the gift of Jesus.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
And what did Philip say? Philip said, if you believe,
if you believe with.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
All your heart, he said, then there's nothing stopping you
from being receiving this gift being baptized. And he said,
I believe he made that great confession. I believe that
Jesus Christ is the son of God. Verse thirty eight.
He commanded the chariot to stand still. They went down
(20:16):
both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch. And
what he baptized in now verse thirty nine is really important.
When they were coming up out of the water, spirit
of the Lord called away Philip that the eunuch saw
(20:37):
him no more.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
And what he went on his way was it? Tell
us what did he do?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
He went on his way rejoicing, rejoicing. He had just
received the gift of Christ. He had just been baptized
into the water, great baptism. He realized at that moment
that he had been gifted, gifted a remission of sin,
(21:08):
and he was a new creature, a new man.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
So what did he do? He takes off rejoicing. That's
that joy, that's that happiness. That's that commandment that we
are given today as well. Are we keeping that commandment?
It's no less than any other commandment.
Speaker 4 (21:26):
Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt
not lie. None of those commandments are any better than rejoicing, evermore, rejoice,
evermore commanded. Now The problem is, as we mentioned it
(21:47):
to start as questions. Today we have a problem with
realizing just what we've been given right and now we
take it for granted, take it for granted. It's over
and done with. Right, we were baptized. Are we going
on our way rejoicing? Why do we refuse to continue
(22:14):
to rejoice and be happy about being a child of God?
Where is that smile? Where is that happiness? Where is
that rejoicing?
Speaker 2 (22:26):
What happened to the fire that was there when we
once obeyed?
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Have we lost it? Does it matter to us anymore?
Turnover to Isaiah. Please turnover to Isaiah chapter fifty nine.
Go to Isaiah chapter fifty nine, and I want to
go with verses one through two.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
That it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it
cannot hear.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
But there that we're but verse two. But your iniquities.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
Have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you. What that he will
not hear? So here's the problem. We found the problem.
This is why there's no more joy, no more happiness,
(23:44):
no more smiles to us as Christians, is because we
let the world convince us that it's no big deal
to have sin in your life. Right, it's no big deal,
it's not a problem. It's not gonna cause you not
to go to heaven. It's not gonna cause you to
(24:05):
lose your soul. Isaiah tells us, though, what that your
iniquities noticed has separated you from God? But what happens
is we listen to the world, We listen to our friends,
we listen to our family. Those that tell us it
(24:26):
doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Really, do you think that's a big deal. It's not
gonna hurt you. It's just a little something, right, Why
does it matter?
Speaker 4 (24:41):
How many times have you heard your friends, your family, relatives,
people that you know, try to convince you.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
They try to convince you that it's okay, it's all right.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
And what happens why because they know that they're not
in the right boat, right, They're in a ship that's seeking,
and they want to pull you a come on my boat,
get on my ship. And you're like, no, I'm on
the boat of heaven, you know, And they convince you
(25:20):
to get on their boat.
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Oh, it's so much better over here on my boat. Right.
Speaker 4 (25:26):
When when you get in that boat, realize that all
those holes.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
In that boat, that boat is going to sink. That
boat is going to sink. But they will convince you
that it's okay. They will convince you that it's okay.
Roman six twenty three.
Speaker 4 (25:43):
Remember when we read it, the first of the lesson
the wages of sin is what death.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
The wages of sin is dead.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Now if you want to turn over the Revelations chapter
twenty one, Revelations.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
Chapter twenty one, and I want to go to verse eight.
But the fearful.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
And unbelieving notice, and the abominable, and murderers and hormongers,
and sorcerers and adulatures and all liars shall have their
part in the lake which burnots with fire and brimstone,
(26:34):
which is not the second death until we understand and
realize that sin separated us from God, and any sin
will separate you from God.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Your iniquities will cause you to be separated from God.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
And those sins and those in the when he's those
transgressions against God's word will cause you to lose your soul,
will cause you to burn in.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
That lake of fire. That we read about fire and brimstone,
is that something that rejoice about? I don't think so.
Will that put a smile on your face? I don't
think so. Will that cause happiness in your life? I
don't think so. I hope not. Galatians chapter five.
Speaker 4 (27:39):
Please turn over with me to Galatians chapter five, Versus
nineteen through twenty one. Now, the works of the flesh
are manifest. That is, it's simple to see. It's visible.
We can understand this. That's what it means. Which are
(28:01):
these adultery, fornication, uncleanness, liciousness, idaughtry, witchcraft, hatred, various emulations, right, strife, seditions,
here sees endings, mirators, drunkness, reddlings, and.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Such like such like. Let me read the words such
like after reading all of.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
That, transgression against God, such like pretty much takes care
of anything. Anything that appears not to be godly is
in that category such like of the which I tell
(28:46):
you before, as I have also told you a time past,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the
Kingdom of God. Anything that transgresses against God's Word, God's teachings,
God's commandments. Anything that goes against what we can find
(29:11):
in the word of God.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Brothers than sisters, and such like will not inherit the
Kingdom of God.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
As Christians, if we don't understand situation that we're living
in today, we're never gonna feel rejoiced, We're never gonna
feel happiness, We're never gonna have a smile inner face.
Why but because we're not living anymore for God.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
It's a tragedy, a tragedy life
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