Thank you. In some churches, corporate worship can have a reputation of being boring. But that shouldn't be the case.

Today on Truth for Life, Alastor Begg considers the basis for Christian joy, the necessity

of prayer, and why the devil works so hard to distract us from both. We're examining the

Apostle Paul's instructions to the Thessalonian believers to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful.

And we used to sing it as a song in the late 60s, early 70s. You may remember it.

Speaking of the joy of the redeemed. Therefore, they remember the song,

therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion,

and everlasting joy will be upon their heads.

They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning will flee away.

Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord will return and come with singing unto Zion,

and everlasting joy will be upon their heads.

Because of the essential truths of the gospel. Praise my soul, the king of heaven,

to his feet thy tribute, bring, ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven. Who like thee,

his praise should sing? The hymn writer is speaking to his soul. He's saying, come on, soul.

I know you're disappointed by this. I know the circumstances are not the way you intended. I know there is frustration here.

I know there is heartache there. But listen, you've been ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven.

Don't you think you should be singing God's praise? Don't you think there should at least be

the half of a smile on the corners of your mouth, for goodness sake? Now, do you understand what the word of God is saying

here, dear ones? This isn't superficiality. This is not, you know, trying to conjure up stuff.

Yes, there's pain. Yes, there's sadness. Some of you this morning

are in deep sadness. I know that. So it really would be a dreadful chronicle of despair.

It would be that the apex of insensitivity, if what I was suggesting from the Word of God

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