Question 1

What causes God to celebrate?

Accepted Answer

Zephaniah 3:11, 17On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels. . . . “[The Lord] will take delight in you with gladness. . . . He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”Matthew 25:23“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’”Luke 15:10“In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.”Revelation 5:11-12Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne. And they sang in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”Revelation 19:7Let us be glad and rejoice, . . . For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.God celebrates the salvation of the lost and the faithful service and holiness of his people. And with him, all of heaven celebrates Jesus, the Lamb, and his victory over sin and death to redeem his bride, the church. All believers will celebrate together at the great heavenly banquet the Lord has planned.

Question 2

What kinds of things should I celebrate?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 13:3, 8“This is a day to remember forever—the day you left Egypt, the place of your slavery. Today the Lord has brought you out by the power of his mighty hand. . . . On the seventh day you must explain to your children, ‘I am celebrating what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.’”You can celebrate important milestones in your life or the lives of others. In celebrating milestones, especially spiritual milestones, you acknowledge God’s blessing upon you and also teach your children the ultimate reason for your celebration.Deuteronomy 2:7‘“For the Lord your God has blessed you in everything you have done. He has watched your every step . . . the Lord your God has been with you, and you have lacked nothing.”’Deuteronomy 16:14-15“This festival will be a happy time of celebrating with your sons and daughters, . . . For seven days you must celebrate this festival to honor the Lord your God at the place he chooses, for it is he who blesses you with bountiful harvests and gives you success in all your work. This festival will be a time of great joy for all.”You can celebrate all God has done for you. When you celebrate, recall his acts of goodness and enjoy the company of friends and fellow believers.2 Samuel 22:1-3David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. He sang: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. He is my refuge, my savior, the one who saves me from violence.”Psalm 47:1Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise!Psalm 98:5-6Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!1 Corinthians 15:57Thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.Praise and worship God because of his love for you, his blessings to you, his protection in the here and now, and his promise of eternal joy and blessing in heaven.

Question 3

Is celebration ever a solemn occurrence?

Accepted Answer

Leviticus 23:27-28“Be careful to celebrate the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of that same month—nine days after the Festival of Trumpets. You must observe it as an official day for holy assembly, a day to deny yourselves and present special gifts to the Lord. Do no work during that entire day because it is the Day of Atonement, when offerings of purification are made for you.”1 Kings 8:62-63Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. . . . And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord.1 Corinthians 11:17, 20-22In the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. . . . When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. . . . I certainly will not praise you for this!Dedicating someone or something to God’s use is a meaningful celebration that is marked with a special seriousness of commitment. And taking the Lord’s Supper (also called Communion or Eucharist) is a solemn celebration of Jesus’s death for us—a solemn time to remember the horror of the crucifixion, accomplished so that we might be saved. In the early church, this celebration was often accompanied by a meal, but the Apostle Paul reprimanded the Corinthians for taking that solemn celebration and turning into a party where folks were not caring for one another—only for themselves and the food they could get.

Question 4

What are the ingredients of celebration?

Accepted Answer

Nehemiah 8:10“Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”Sharing good food promotes community. Joy and fun, as God intended, are important parts of celebration because they lift your spirits and help you see the beauty and meaning in life.Exodus 13:4-6, 8“On this day in early spring, in the month of Abib, you have been set free. You must celebrate this event in this month each year after the Lord brings you into the land. . . . For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. . . . On the seventh day you must explain to your children, ‘I am celebrating what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.’”God provided regular times for celebration and renewal through the Sabbath and festival pattern of Israel’s life. The week-long festivals were mandatory times for everyone to remember, rest, and reflect on God’s work in their lives. It’s important to set aside regular times of celebration to ensure that you don’t neglect God and that future generations hear the truth. Celebration with a purpose makes it more memorable and significant.Leviticus 23:25“You must do no ordinary work on that day. Instead, you are to present special gifts to the Lord.”Rest is an important part of celebration because it allows you time to refresh and renew your mind and body. It should take your mind off the ordinary and routine.2 Samuel 6:14David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.Psalm 150:4-6Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!1 Chronicles 13:8David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.Worship is a form of celebration and can take on many forms. Part of your worship experience should be celebrating the God you worship and praising his character and all he has done for you.

Question 5

What kind of celebration is inappropriate?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 32:25Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies.Numbers 25:1-2While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab.1 Peter 4:3You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.Celebration that is self-centered, drunken, indulgent, immoral, involves sinful acts, or creates conditions that can tempt you into sin is inappropriate.

Question 6

What is the importance of family in celebration?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 12:26Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’Nehemiah 12:43Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.Esther 9:28These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.As you celebrate the Lord with your family, you’re modeling the importance of the Lord’s presence in your life—sharing with your family all that God has done in the world, in the past, and for you personally and keeping those stories alive. This is the greatest inheritance you can give to your children and grandchildren; it is a treasure to be passed on to future generations.

Question 7

Regardless of my circumstances, what can I always celebrate?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 135:3Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.Isaiah 49:13Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.Philippians 1:13-14, 18Everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. . . . And I will continue to rejoice.Philippians 4:4Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!Sometimes you can celebrate the joy of good circumstances, but sometimes circumstances are not the best or are downright terrible. The Apostle Paul sat in prison but was able to rejoice because he knew he was right where God wanted him—even if he didn’t understand God’s plan. No matter what your circumstances, you can always be full of joy in the Lord and celebrate the Lord himself!

Question 8

How can I incorporate celebration in my worship?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 150:4-6Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes! Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals. Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!1 Chronicles 13:8David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets.Worship is a time when God alone should be the focus of your celebration. Celebration in worship can take on many forms, but the point is that the focus of the worship experience should be celebrating God and all he has done for us, both as individuals and as a community.