Rejoice in the Lord Always! - Phil. 4:4-9

Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, October 29, 2023

When I chose the theme “Rejoice in the Lord always,” I remember thinking it would be easy to preach on. But now I am not so sure. There is war in the Middle East, another mass shooting in Maine, and climate catastrophes surrounding us, most recently a Category 5 hurricane in Mexico. “Rejoice in the Lord always” doesn’t seem to fit.

And yet…, the Apostle Paul was writing from prison in Rome, where he was eventually executed, put to death for his faith. Not only was Paul in prison, but in Chapter 2 he mentions that his good friend Epaphroditus, who had been helping him, had just been so ill that he had nearly died. On top of all that, he has enemies – people who are envious of his power and influence in the church –  who are happy that he is in prison. In Chapter 1, verse 17 he writes, “…others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment.” So Paul’s in prison, one of his best friends has been terribly ill, and people are out to get him and destroy his ministry. How can he say “Rejoice”?

Before we continue, let’s back up a bit and acknowledge that there are Christians who are just a little bit too cheery. They always seem to have a yellow happy face emoji pasted on their face. Their theme is, “Don’t worry. Be happy!” It may be good advice sometimes, but it’s not good to ignore our negative feelings and stuff them down inside somewhere. Later those negative feelings will come back to haunt us.

If we look at the life of Christ, we see that he wasn’t always happy.  He wept when his friend Lazarus died. He was so angry at the merchants in the temple that he overthrew their tables and chased them out with a whip of cords. He felt keen disappointment when Judas betrayed him, asking, “Must you betray me with a kiss?” On the cross, he cried aloud, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” If Jesus expressed sorrow, anger, disappointment and even despair, it cannot be wrong for us to express negative feelings. Christians are allowed to grieve or to be angry. Sometimes Christians are even depressed. As your pastor, I want to tell you that it is perfectly fine for you to consult a mental health expert if you need to.

God gave us doctors and nurses to minister to our physical ills and God has given us psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors and therapists to minister to our emotional and mental ills. There is nothing shameful about seeing a mental health professional. It is good common sense to take care of your health – both physical and mental. As a pastor, I can listen to your concerns and pray for you, but sometimes we need more than just spiritual counsel. And that’s OK.

A good psychologist would caution that we should avoid labeling emotions good or bad – we just feel them –  but our emotions may be telling us something, so that’s why it’s good to pray about them. It’s fine to say, “God I feel angry,” or “I’m afraid, God.” If we can say why, that is even better – “God, I am anxious because I’m worried about my job, or my kids, or …fill in the blank.” Once we pray about something, we can then thank God that God will work on our behalf, and will help us through this situation. If we don’t have faith, it’s fine to ask God, “Help me to have faith in you to believe you are working things out for my good and the good of everyone concerned.”

So, yes, let’s acknowledge our negative emotions, but why does Paul exhort the Philippians to “Rejoice in the Lord always”? The word “rejoice” comes from “joy,” which is different from happiness. Happiness is related to the word “happen” – when something good happens, we are happy. We receive a gift we wanted – we are happy. We get a raise at work – we are happy. We get tickets to Taylor Swift – we are really happy! But joy does not depend on what happens to us. It is a gift of the Spirit, along with love, peace, patience, and kindness. Joy is an abiding sense of God’s presence in our lives. It is an enduring attitude of contentment and peace that we choose and practice, no matter what happens.

When Paul tells the Philippians “Rejoice!” it is not because of their outward circumstances, but rather their relationship with God. We see this in the phrase “rejoice in the Lord.” We might be happy that something good has happened, but rejoicing is based on God’s love for us. Even in the midst of difficulties, we can still rejoice. Paul reminds us, “The Lord is near.” We can easily forget that God is near us all the time. We may not sense God’s presence, but we can still be assured that God is close to us, and that God cares for us. As David wrote, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.” David expands on this thought in Psalm 139:

Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
    if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
    and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and night wraps itself around me,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is as bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

Rejoice! The Lord is near. Then Paul advises the Philippians: “With thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Thanksgiving is a powerful spiritual tool. I have mentioned this before, but I will say it again: Develop the habit of being thankful. Every morning before you get out of bed, thank God for something – maybe just that you woke up! I’m thankful that I’m in good health. That I have a loving husband and daughter. I’m thankful that I’m your pastor. I’m thankful for all of you!

Paul writes, if you are worried, which all of us are at times, let your requests be made known to God, but pray with thanksgiving. Give thanks for the good things, then tell God about your anxieties and concerns. Paul assures us that if we do this, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.” Notice that Paul does not promise that God will answer our prayers right away, or even give us everything we ask for, only that God’s peace will surround and comfort us. Once we have told God our problems, we can rest in God’s love, assured that God will be with us no matter what. God is working on it, so we can relax.

I like the translation of these verses in the Message: “Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.”

Of course, telling someone not to think about their worries is a bit like telling someone not to think of a pink elephant. Now, all of you had a brief image of a pink elephant in your mind, didn’t you? Unless you are a dedicated Zen Buddhist practitioner, it’s hard to think of nothing. Paul knew that positive thoughts can replace negative thoughts. That’s why he adds, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” The more we think of positive things, the less room there will be in our minds for negative thoughts.

The Christian Women’s Fellowship, that many of our Cameroonian members belong to, has a great motto: “Serve the Lord with Joy.” When we help others, we often forget our own problems, and we soon find that the joy of the Lord has found us.

Some of you have helped build houses for Habitat for Humanity, an organization that strives to provide decent housing for the poor here in the U.S. and around the world. What you may not know is that Habitat got its start back in Americus, Georgia, at a place called Koinonia Farm. Started by Clarence Jordan and his wife Florence back in the 1940’s, before the Civil Rights Movement had taken hold, Koinonia included Blacks and Whites working together. Because of this, Koinonia Farm suffered boycotts, and repeated violence, including several bombings. Jordan was investigated by the FBI for possible Communist ties, of which he had none. Yet through it all, he was known for his wit and sense of humor, which he never lost. After all this happened, he wrote The Cottonpatch Gospel, a light-hearted version of the gospel set in rural Georgia; instead of Jews and Gentiles, he used Blacks and Whites. Perhaps because he spent his life helping others and fighting for justice, he remained joyful in the Lord. Clarence Jordan is only one among many I could mention who understood what it means, despite difficulties and suffering, to “Rejoice in the Lord always.”

Let’s conclude with a time of silent prayer. I will lead us as we reflect on some of the verses we have read today. Let’s close our eyes and take a few deep breaths.

Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I say, Rejoice. The Lord is near. We are in a holy place; let’s take a moment to sense God’s presence here.

Now, thank God for as many things as you can think of – life, health, family, friends…

Now think of your anxieties and worries. Take a moment to tell God, your concerns and fears, what is worrying you or making you anxious.

What are your hopes for the future? Share those with God, too.

And now, let us think about that which is true.
Let us think about that which is honorable and just.
Let us think about that which is pure.
Let us think about that which is pleasing and commendable.
Let us think about that which is excellent and worthy of praise.
And now, may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

© Deborah Troester, 2023