Rejoice!

Luke 15:1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

How much time do you spend rejoicing?

Since rejoicing is a group activity, it is even more joyful than joy as a result of the multiplication factor. There remain some questions we might ask…

What do we rejoice for? Who do we rejoice with?

The answers to those questions determine how your life is directed. And if you find yourself NEVER rejoicing, perhaps you should spend more time counting your blessings!

The Lord desires His people to be a rejoicing people, and it is one of the qualifying characteristics of those who love Jesus. If you love Jesus, it is because He first loved you – and there is no greater reason than that to rejoice! And if you rejoice over the love you have for Jesus, than you will rejoice when even one lost person repents and comes into the Kingdom of Heaven because Jesus and all the angels are also rejoicing!

Part of the fun of going to a ballgame is the opportunity, (should your team perform,) of rejoicing in a group with like-minded people. Anyone who has ever been in a stadium can testify to the amazing power of thousands of people rejoicing at the same time.

In part, this is why the church exists: that we may rejoice together, and enjoy the wondrous power of collective joy – the unified joy of celebrating new life in Christ – which is much more amazing than winning any old ballgame. Ask Paul, who wrote:

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always!

- Pastor Bill