Temple Baptist Church - 2-8-2026
John 15:11
Introduction:
A. In 2026, God wants His people to thrive, not just survive! Thriving in Christ is abiding in Christ, and abiding in Christ is fullness of joy! One of the essential characteristics of “fullness of Joy” is found in rejoicing. Here are two verses that express what John is telling us in John 15:11.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice evermore.
B. Last week, we saw that abiding in Christ brings about the joy of the Lord in the life of the Christian. How can one walk in fellowship and harmony with Christ Jesus and not have that inner joy and peace that comes through being with Him?
C. Rejoicing is an outward expression of an inner joy! When your joy becomes “full” it overflows in tears and praise. There is an old saying, “When your cup gets full, the saucer gets the blessing!”
D. The word “rejoice” in its various forms is found 258x in your King James Bible.
1. The First Mention - Exodus 18:8-9 And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them. (9) And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
2. The Last Mention - Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
E. “Alway” is an interesting word. It is a word not found in this computer's spell checker. Every time I type “alway”, the word processor corrects it to “always.” “Always” is found 62 times in the Bible while “alway” is found only 23 times. When the Bible makes a spelling distinction, it behooves us to take a closer look at the wording.
F. Both words come from the same two root words which mean “every” and “when.” Therefore, to the casual observer, the two words are the same but this is not the case. The “s” on “always” makes the word plural while the lack of the “s” makes “alway” singular. This difference is an important one to the believer as our text verse will bear out.
1. The word “always” refers to an expanse of time more than just an instance of time.
2. The seemingly opposite is true in the context of the word “alway.” It seems that “alway” refers to a specific instance of time and encompasses many instances of time, but one at a time.
G. Whether one agrees fully with that distinction or not, the truth it points us to is unmistakable: our joy is not tied to long stretches of ease, but to Christ’s presence in every moment. I enjoy reading Philippians 4:4 and am glad that the Holy Ghost said, “Alway!” It has been and is a joy during the hard times of my life.
H. Let me give you another instance where the Bible uses the “alway” instead of “always.” We know that the Lord said that He would never leave nor forsake us in Hebrews 13. Though the word “always” is not used, the sense of the word is there. I am glad that the Lord will be there with me and for me until the day He calls me home! But, in Matthew 18:20, He said, “And, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” I believe that the difference is that, now, our Lord said that He would be with in every place, in every instance, and in every circumstance of life as we carry the gospel to a lost world. Every situation and circumstance, He is there with us while having the power to deliver and sustain us. “Even unto the end of the world” tells us that he will be with us in every circumstance all of the way home!
J. I want to look at the latter part of this verse again this morning. “That your joy might be full!” “Fulness of joy.”
John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
1. Our Joy Comes Through Fellowship, not circumstances - Psalms 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
2. Our Joy Comes Through Faith, not circumstances - Philippians 1:25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
3. Our Joy Comes Through Faithfulness, not circumstances - Psalms 84:4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
K. Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” Notice with me that the verse says to “rejoice in the Lord alway.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says, “Rejoice evermore.”
1. To rejoice in all times and all seasons. In season and out of season!
2. To rejoice in all conditions and all circumstances. Good times and bad times, times of plenty and times of little, times of health and times of sickness, times when you are up and times when you are down.
L. It is easy to rejoice when you are up on the mountain, but how can we rejoice in the bad times? By being full of the joy of the Lord. Keeping our hearts and minds stayed upon Him, not on our surroundings and circumstances.
Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
1. Normally, “Rejoice in the Lord” would have sufficed, but Paul reinforced the word by beginning and ending the sentence with “rejoice.” It shows us the importance of having the right attitude and a trusting one.
2. Our mental state has as much to do with our general outlook on life as our circumstances do. As a “merry heart” doeth good like a medicine, a positive state of mind makes our outlook on life positive. God controls, and He loves His children!
1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice evermore. (From now throughout our lives and all of the instances thereof.)
1. Rejoice in the Lord during the good times of life.
a. It is easy to forget God when things go well.
Deuteronomy 8:12-14 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; (13) And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; (14) Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
b. We need to rejoice in the Lord because He has been so good to us.
Psalms 106:1 Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
c. We need to rejoice when our health is good.
3 John 2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
d. We need to rejoice when our power is still on and our cupboards are full.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
2. Rejoice in the Lord during the hard times of life.
a. We can rejoice because God’s providence controls our circumstances.
Job 23:10, 13 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold … But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
b. We can rejoice because it is then that God provides our needs in hard times.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
c. We can rejoice because God protects our lives in desperate situations.
2 Timothy 4:17-18 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (18) And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
d. We can rejoice because We can count our many blessings in the valleys.
Psalms 145:8-10 The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. (9) The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. (10) All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
e. We can rejoice because God will bring about a right end when the trial is past.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
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