Reasons to Rejoice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As I conclude, this series of posts based on a sermon about joy, we ask what are our reasons to rejoice?\u00a0 This is other than of course the most important\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2012\/09\/16602\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reasons to Rejoice\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As I conclude, this series of posts based on a sermon about joy, we ask what are our reasons to rejoice?\u00a0 This is other than of course the most important\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2012\/09\/16602\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Adrian Warnock\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adrianwarnockpage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-09-19T14:54:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-06-13T09:12:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Adrian Warnock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@adrianwarnock\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Adrian Warnock\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2012\/09\/16602\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2012\/09\/16602\/\",\"name\":\"Reasons to Rejoice\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-09-19T14:54:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-06-13T09:12:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/#\/schema\/person\/4dc7481b9baa3553d9a7698715084eaa\"},\"description\":\"As I conclude, this series of posts based on a sermon about joy, we ask what are our reasons to rejoice?\u00a0 This is other than of course the most important\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2012\/09\/16602\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2012\/09\/16602\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2012\/09\/16602\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Reasons to Rejoice\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/\",\"name\":\"Adrian Warnock\",\"description\":\"Patheos Evangelical\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/#\/schema\/person\/4dc7481b9baa3553d9a7698715084eaa\",\"name\":\"Adrian Warnock\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e5ff2076e287d1578e3b13fc015d78be?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e5ff2076e287d1578e3b13fc015d78be?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Adrian Warnock\"},\"description\":\"The resurrection of Jesus changes everything. 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I am the author of the Transformed by Jesus: Spiritual Renewal series of books, which ask: \u2192 What does Jesus\u2019 resurrection mean for you? Raised With Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything https:\/\/mybook.to\/raisedwithchrist \u2192 Why is change so difficult? What causes the resistance? The Traitor Within: Understanding and Healing Our Deceitful Hearts https:\/\/mybook.to\/traitorwithin \u2192 \\u2028Why is change so slow? How does grace lead us over a lifetime? Amazing Grace: How Faith Grows in the Human Heart https:\/\/mybook.to\/amazinggrace \u2192 \\u2028\\u2028How do you become a Christian? How do you know if you really are one? Hope Reborn: How to Become a Christian and Live for Jesus https:\/\/mybook.to\/hope-reborn These books bring together medical, psychological, social, and faith-based insights, advocating for a biopsychosocial\u2013spiritual model of wellbeing. 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{"id":16602,"date":"2012-09-19T15:54:43","date_gmt":"2012-09-19T14:54:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adrianwarnock.com\/?p=16602"},"modified":"2020-06-13T10:12:27","modified_gmt":"2020-06-13T09:12:27","slug":"16602","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2012\/09\/16602\/","title":{"rendered":"Reasons to Rejoice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

As I conclude, this series of posts based on a sermon about joy<\/a>, we ask what are our reasons to rejoice?\u00a0 This is other than of course the most important reason, that we have been saved, and our glorious God has done so much for us! But at times we all need a gentle prod, so here some good reasons:<\/p>\n

1. Joy is commanded<\/strong><\/p>\n

Deuteronomy 12:18 says: \u2018You shall rejoice before the LORD your God in all your undertakings\u2019<\/strong>. Psalm 35:27 says: \u2018Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad<\/strong> and say forevermore, \u201cGreat is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of His servant\u201d.\u2019 God also warns serious consequences if his people will not rejoice and tells the Israelites that if they do not serve him as he ordains they will be told \u201cBecause you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord will send against you\u2026<\/strong>(Dueteronomy 28:47)\u201d<\/p>\n

God\u2019s command to rejoice is a serious command. God is urging you, He is commanding you, to be serious in your pursuit of joy<\/strong>, not to be satisfied with the small tastes of joy that you have so far experienced. He is urging all of us not to sell Jesus short, not to be satisfied, but to press in for all that Jesus has for us.<\/p>\n

2 Joy brings hope<\/strong><\/p>\n

Joy gives hope. Romans 12:12 says: \u2018Rejoice in hope\u2026\u2019 I have to say, hope and joy go together like despair and sadness<\/strong>. As we rejoice, we will find hope stirred in our hearts. There is so much to say about hope, but that would require another series!<\/p>\n

3 Joy gives strength<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally, joy gives us strength to face life with all its challenges. Nehemiah 8:10: \u2018The joy of the LORD is your strength\u2019.<\/strong> This term, make it your resolution that the joy of the Lord will be your strength. Whatever this term may throw at you, let the joy of the Lord be your strength. No wonder that Paul said in Philippians 4:4: \u2018Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice\u2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"