The Book of First Thessalonians:
Message Thirty Eight
By Dr. Michael
Guido, D.D.
Dr. S. D.
Gordon was on his way to his office one morning when
he met an old man who was singing happily to himself.
He greeted him and said, "You seem to be very
happy this morning." "Yes," he
replied, "I am. I've served the Lord many years,
and in Him I've found happiness that's lasting and
good." "Do you mean to say," asked Dr.
Gordon, "that if you hadn't lived the Christian
life you wouldn't now be happy?"
"Sir," he answered, "the devil has no
happy old people." And it's to God's people that
it's written, "Rejoice evermore."
Mark the
summons. The underlying thought in the word
"rejoice" is joy. Now "joy," as
you know, is spelled J-O-Y. Someone has said, "J
stands for Jesus, O stands for others, and Y stands
for yourself. When you put Jesus first, Others
second, Yourself last, you'll have JOY." With
that statement the Bible most certainly agrees. But
another said, "J stands for Jesus, O stands for
nothing and Y stands for you. There's joy in your
life only when there's nothing between Jesus and
You." How true! There was a girl who put Jesus
first, others second and herself last. As far as she
knew there was nothing between her soul and her
Savior. And she testified, "I feel
happified." How true! Jesus brings joy, and
surrender and song are twins!
Mark the
source. Have you ever seen a man go to his bench with
a set of tools and make an orange? No. There are some
things he can make, and there are other things he
can't. And an orange is a thing he can't make. Why?
Because it's a fruit. You don't make fruit. It's
grown. Trying to make joy is just as hopeless as
trying to make an orange. You can't do it. Joy is
fruit. Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It's
written in Galatians 5:22 and 23, "The fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance." The fruit of joy is produced only
in a life that's rooted in the Spirit. Just as some
folk try to make artificial fruit look real and hang
it on man-made trees, so some folk have an artificial
joy that they try to hang on themselves. But there's
a difference. It reminds me of the lightning of the
storm and the light of the sun. The lightning is
short and scorching, passing and perishable. That's
the artificial joy of the unsaved. Then there's the
light of the sun. It's healthful and healing, lasting
and life-giving. That's the real joy of the saved.
Meet the
Savior. A Christian is one who rejoices in the
Savior. It's written in Philippians 4:4,
"Rejoice in the Lord." And why shouldn't
we? There's no prayer that's too hard for Him to
answer. There's no need that's too great for Him to
supply. There's no passion that's too strong for Him
to subdue. There's no temptation that's too hard for
Him to deliver from. There's no misery that's too
deep for Him to relieve.
"The
Savior can solve every problem, the tangles of life
He can undo;
There's
nothing too hard for Jesus, there's nothing that He
cannot do."
Mark the
salvation. A Christian is one who rejoices in the
Savior and salvation. There was a rich young ruler
who gave up God for gold. Was he glad? Oh, no; he was
sad. The Bible says, "He went away
sorrowful." But what of those who receive the
Savior? They're satisfied, for Jesus brings joy.
Billy Bray lived a life filled with drink and
debauchery. But one morning he called upon the name
of the Lord and was saved. "In an instant,"
he testified, "the Lord made me so happy I
shouted for joy." That shout became his
trademark. "Some said I was a madman," he
confessed. "But they meant I was a glad
man," for so he was, even in his sorrow.
Concerning a certain time of sorrow, he remarked,
"I've been taking vinegar and honey, but, praise
the Lord, I've had the vinegar with a spoon, and the
honey with a ladle." "God," he said,
"has made me glad, and no one can make me sad;
He makes me shout, and no one can make me
doubt." Besides laughing and shouting, Billy
Bray would burst into singing. But he was a poor
singer. One day he said, "My heavenly Father
likes to hear me sing. He likes to hear the crow as
well as the nightingale, for He made both." As
he lay dying, a friend asked, "Are you afraid,
Billy, of what's ahead?" "Glory!" he
shouted, "me fear death? Why, my Savior
conquered death. If I were to go to hell I'd shout
'Glory! Glory!' unto my blessed Jesus until I made
the bottomless pit ring, and that miserable old Satan
would say, 'Billy, this is no place for you. Go
back!' Then up to heaven I'd go, shouting, 'Glory!
Glory! Praise the Lord.'" Then, turning to his
physician he said, "Doctor, I'll soon be in
heaven. When I get up there, shall I give them your
compliments, and tell them you'll be coming?"
Thus lived and died Billy Bray, rejoicing in the
Savior and His salvation. And
"You may
have the joybells ringing in your heart, and a peace
that from you never will depart;
Walk the
straight and narrow way, live for Jesus every day; He
will keep the joybells ringing in your heart."
copyright 2000 Guido Evangelistic
Association
All Scripture verses are
quoted from the New King James Version.
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This series of messages on the
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Sower." They are collected and reprinted here
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