1. Psalm 122:1: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” There are three reasons why worship should be joyful. 1)The Christian has every reason to rejoice. 2)Worship itself is designed to be joyful. 3)I can can do something about being more joyful in worship.

2. Psalm 100: “Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures all generations.” To the psalmist, worship was joyful, full of gladness and thanksgiving. When you come together in God’s house, do you have the same attitude?

3. Point # 1: The Christian has every reason to rejoice! Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” We have much to rejoice about: Christ’s pain and suffering for us; salvation (Luke 10:20); persecution (James 1:2); God’s loving kindness and countless blessings; God is Lord (Psalm 100:3); the truth is at our fingertips (III John 4).

4. Point #2: Worship itself is designed to be joyful! Singing is a joyful activity: builds us up, edifies us (James 5:13; Acts 16:25). Through singing, God’s praise is accomplished (Hebrews 13:15).

5. Studying is a joyful activity: Have you ever seen a hungry man not happy to eat? Matthew 5:6: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”  The man who walks upright delights in studying God’s word (Psalm 1:1-2).  Jeremiah 15:16: “Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”

6. Giving is a joyful activity. God loves a cheerful giver: II Corinthians 9:7: “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” The cheerful giver recognizes the truthfulness of Jesus’ words in Acts 20:35: “Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

7. Praying is a joyful activity. Psalm 68:3: “But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.” We, as righteous people, have much to be joyful about, and we can express our joy through prayer to God.

8. Partaking of the Lord’s Supper, while solemn, is also joyful. While the Lord’s Supper is a solemn remembrance of the death of Jesus, we also rejoice knowing that our own salvation was purchased by Him. Romans 5:10-11: “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

9. Point #3: I can do something about being joyful in worship! I Corinthians 14:15: “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” In loving God, we are to give our all; worshipping God is part of loving Him. Matthew 22:37: “Jesus said to him (a lawyer), ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” Colossians 3:23 includes worship when it says: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”

10. Another way I can do something about being joyful in worship is I can be dedicated to unity in the body of Christ. Romans 15:32: “that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.” Philippians 2:2: “fulfill my joy by being like- minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

11. Conclusion There is joy in worship because… i.The Christian has every reason to rejoice! ii.Worship is designed to be joyful! iii.I can do something about being more joyful in worship! Colossians 3:17: “And whatever we do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” We must always rejoice over the fact that we have the opportunity to assemble and worship the true and living God!