The text for this morning’s message comes from the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica. Thessalonica is modern day Salonica, the second largest city in Greece and it lies on the Aegean Sea. For those who attend Bible Study on Wednesday evenings, we mentioned the Aegean Sea referring to the Goat Sea. The prophet Daniel pointed to the Greek Empire hundreds of years before when he had a vision of the ram and goat, the goat representing Greece, specifically Alexander the Great.
Back in the day when it was known as Thessalonica, it was considered a “free city” which was ruled by its own people under the Roman Empire. It was a thriving city, the hub of political and commercial activity.
Paul wrote these two letters from Corinth and his main purposes were to encourage the church, to address some false allegations and to comfort the people. He wanted them to remain strong in their faith, to understand the importance of unity and moral living, and to remind them that God wanted them to move forward and not be set in their ways.
Wow. Not much has changed huh? 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Do you know that these verses have been printed in our church Sunday bulletin every week since our inception? Look at the words printed in the middle just under “The Power of Prayer.”
Especially this time of year we are reminded to give thanks for everything. This week we are celebrating with a Thanksgiving Service of Remembrance on Tuesday evening. I do hope you are planning to attend. It will be followed by a pie social and we all know how much we love pies. And then Thursday we will gather with family and friends to give thanks for all we have, our freedoms, our loved ones, yes another Thanksgiving Day. A time to humbly consider what is most important in our lives. What is most important? There is a line from a recent movie Cheryl and I watched that says; “Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. The general opinion is that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around.”
So what is most important to give thanks for in our lives?
Last Wednesday at our weekly gathering at Atria, I asked just that and what may be the most important day of our lives? I have shared this before, but it seems so appropriate for today. What is the best day of your life? This is called “The Best Day of My Life.” Listen to these words:
Today, when I awoke, I suddenly realized that this is the best day of my life, ever! There were times when I wondered if I would make it to today; but I did! And because I did I'm going to celebrate!
Today, I'm going to celebrate what an unbelievable life I have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make me stronger.
I will go through this day with my head held high, and a happy heart.
I will marvel at God's seemingly simple gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Today, none of these miraculous creations will escape my notice.
Today, I will share my excitement for life with other people. I'll make someone smile. I'll go out of my way to perform an unexpected act of kindness for someone I don't even know.
Today, I'll give a sincere compliment to someone who seems down. I'll tell a child how special he is, and I'll tell someone I love just how deeply I care for them and how much they mean to me.
Today is the day I quit worrying about what I don't have and start being grateful for all the wonderful things God has already given me.
I'll remember that to worry is just a waste of time because my faith in God and his Divine Plan ensures everything will be just fine.
Tonight, before I go to bed, I'll go outside and raise my eyes to the heavens. I will stand in awe at the beauty of the stars and the moon, and I will praise God for these magnificent treasures.
As the day ends and I lay my head down on my pillow, I will thank the Almighty for the best day of my life.
And I will sleep the sleep of a contented child, excited with expectation because I know tomorrow is going to be ...... the best day of my life.
What a great attitude to have, what a wonderful way to approach life. To rejoice always, in everything, to give thanks for all we have, for this is the will of God for all of us.
Sometimes the circumstances of our lives are not always the best. In fact, they may be downright bad, but still, we are to look for something to be thankful for. And there is always something if we look for it.
One morning after a terrible snowstorm, a woman named Susan was outside shoveling her driveway. She stopped to wave hello to her neighbor, and he asked her why her husband wasn’t out there helping her with the chore.
She explained that one of them had to stay inside to take care of the children, so they drew straws to see who would go out and shovel. "Sorry about your bad luck," he said. Susan replied, "Don’t be sorry. I won!"
Give thanks in all circumstances.
I recently read this quote; “I used to think people complained because they had a lot of problems. But I have come to realize that they have problems because they complain. Complaining doesn’t change anything or make situations better. It amplifies frustration, spreads discontent and discord, and can invoke an invitation for the devil to cause havoc with our lives.” Complaining makes us miserable.
So we should be thankful for what we have in any situation, at any given time, on any given day. Be thankful for we know that God is in control.
If we were to draw up a Thanksgiving list of things for which we are thankful, what would be included? I know some of the things that I would include.
First, I’m thankful that I enjoy the blessing of living in the United States of America. I have visited other countries and I’m so thankful for the privilege of being a citizen of this country.
Second, despite all my aches & pains, I’m thankful for physical blessings, too. Someone said, "Count your fingers and toes, and if your mind is sharp enough to count that high, then give God thanks for your mind, too. Thank Him that you can see, and that you have the agility to move from one place to another." I thank God for the physical strength that He gives me every day.
Third, I thank God for supplying me with everything that I really need. No, I don’t have everything I would like to have. But He has met my needs. And I know that He is the supplier of "every good and perfect gift" that comes my way. I love the hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” The verse that stands out is “All I have needed Thy Hand has provided.” Needed, not wanted.
Fourth, I thank God for our church and for all of you. I thank God that we are a church full of people who care about others, who sincerely want to reach out to those who are less fortunate. That we are a church that looks outward rather than inward, that we try to model Christ in our everyday lives. That we put to action what we believe, that we spread the Gospel message through our lives and not just our words.
And fifth, I thank God for my wife, my children and our family. Without them I’m not sure I could do what I do. I don’t say thank you often enough, perhaps none of us do, but I am thankful that God has blessed me with such wonderful people in my life.
I would like to close with a song. A meaningful song that touched my life when I first heard the words. I sang this song at Melanie’s funeral. She was a 25 year old girl full of disabilities, yet she cared for others always. She was thankful for every day of her life. She loved Birthday parties and she loved to laugh even with all she had to endure. It’s called “When It’s All Been Said and Done” written by Don Moen.
When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth?
Did I live my life for you?
When it's all been said and done,
All my treasures will mean nothing;
Only what I have done for love's rewards
Will stand the test of time.
Lord, your mercy is so great,
That you look beyond our weakness;
That you found purest gold in miry clay
Turning sinners into saints.
I will always sing your praise
Here on earth and in Heaven after
For you've joined me at my true home
When it's all been said and done
You're my life when life is gone...
What are you thankful for today? This is the season to give thanks. We should always pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Amen.
