This I’m from a series on Philippians based on some talks I gave to the York Christian Union.

Despite all his trials and his present situation in chains, Paul was filled with joy (Php 1:5 and spent much time rejoicing Php 1:18; Php 2:17; Php 3:1; Php 4: 4 & 10) and expected the Philippians to be too. Php 1:25-26; Php 2:18; Php 3: 2-3; Php 4:4

Finally – if your Christ is the destroyer but He has become your Saviour, if Christ is Lord over everything and He cares for you, if you are stained by sin but you have been made whiter than the snow and Christ is your righteousness, if you do not know how to live but Christ has become your example, if you were dead and now are alive because Christ has become your life, do you think you should be happy or sad?

That Jesus is Lord really is good news. It was never designed to just forgive you but to change everything, it was not intended to just change what you do a couple of times a week on Sunday mornings or Friday nights. It was designed to fill you with joy and alter your destiny, your priorities, your hopes, dreams, heart, mind, body and soul. Which in case you’ve forgotten is how the Bible has always described how we should love God.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to churches where the congregation sings as if God really doesn’t exist but whatever church background you come from let me ask you this, can you really rejoice without smiling?

Joy and rejoicing is however more than praise and worship but not less than. Rejoicing and joy affect our anxiety levels, they reduce them, they affect our confidence levels, they raise them. Rejoicing and joy help you appreciate that in Christ you lack no good thing, that He has lavished his gifts of grace upon you.

Celebration is a gift and in the gifts God has given us there is much to celebrate. How would you celebrate amazing news? Well we should celebrate like this in the church. Your praise and your life should be marked by joy; inexpressible but overflowing joy.

So a final question, is your relationship with Christ marked by joy and rejoicing?

So let’s pray – I know I need God to help me in probably all six areas, maybe there’s an area in particular that you need God to help you with or you’ve not thought about before. Let’s come to him and ask Him to make Christ all for us.