Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Title: Give Thanks Always
With this being Thanksgiving week I’d like to focus most of this sermon on one verse. “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18)
Now I wonder what comes to most of our minds when we read that verse. I think we would all agree that this has got to be one of the most challenging verses in the Bible Some verses in the Bible are challenging because we not sure what they mean.This is not one of those kinds of verses. This verse is challenging because we know what God is asking of us in the verse. God is challenging all of us to give thanks in all circumstances.
“Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
How does someone take on a challenge like this? There is an answer! Experts tell us that one of the best ways to take on any challenge is to break the challenge down into small steps. And since this is a challenging verse it might be helpful for us to do the same–to break the verse down into small steps.
So we are going to break this challenging verse down into 5 small steps
Step 1. Give thanks
Step 2. In all circumstances
Step 3. For this is God’s will
Step 4. For you
Step 5. In Christ Jesus
The first step we have to take in order to meet the challenge in this verse is to give thanks.
Step 1 Give thanks
Definition of give thanks: To show one self grateful, to be thankful. All of us here can successfully do this first step. All of us can give thanks. There are lots of different ways we can give thanks…
For example
•We can give thanks loudly
•We can give thanks quietly
•We can give thanks in a group setting
•We can give thanks all by our self
•We can give thanks in creative ways
•We can give thanks in traditional ways
Conclusion: Again all of us here can successfully do this first step. All of us can give thanks
So let’s move on to step 2
Step 2 . In all circumstances
Step 2 gives us the answer to the question; “When should we to give thanks?”
We are to give thanks in all circumstances. Right now You might be thinking what I’m thinking
Step 1 is easy but Step 2 is impossible to do! Step 2 can’t be done!
It might just be impossible to do because we are not reading the step 2 instructions properly. We are not instructed to give thanks for all circumstances rather we are instructed to give thanks in all circumstances. ”In” and not “for”. There is a difference!
We thank God for all the good circumstance that happens to us…
We thank God in all the bad circumstances that happens to us
Illustration: Matt Redman
Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name
Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Illustration Matthew Henry
Matthew Henry, who wrote a commentary on every book of the Bible, was once robbed. The thieves took everything of value that he had. Later that evening he wrote in his diary these words, “I am thankful that during these years I have never been robbed before. Also, even though they took my money, they did not take my life. Although they took all I had, it was not much. Finally, I am grateful that it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
NT character: the Apostle Paul (Someone who stands out as a person who gave thanks in all circumstances)
For example
“After they had been severely flogged they were thrown into prison and the jailor was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stock. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them.” (Acts 16:23-25)
We don’t thank God for all the bad things that happen to us -we thank God in all the bad things that happen to us
Question: Why should I give thanks in all circumstances? You need to give me a really good reason why I should give thanks in all circumstance
Step 3
3.For this is God’s will
I should give thanks in all circumstances because this is God’s will. God’s will for my Life and God’s will for your life is that we give thanks in all circumstances
OT: Job:
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21)
I need a better reason than that to give thanks in all circumstances.There is no better reason…
We have to give thanks in all circumstances because it’s God’s will!
I need God to change my circumstances for the better first and then I’ll give thanks…
No you give thanks first and then God will change your circumstances for the better
All of us here are familiar with the saying “2 wrongs don’t make a right”
Most of our bad circumstances occur because someone wronged us…
If I don’t give thanks in those bad circumstances what have I done? I ‘vet just added another wrong. When someone does me wrong I needed to respond by doing something right
This brings us to step 4
Step 4 “For you”
Step 4 answers the question “who should give thanks in all circumstances”? You should… and I should. Now before we get all upset….Consider this for a moment
This step 4 could have been said to us another way…Instead saying step 4 is “For you” Step 4 could have said “for everyone.”
For this is God’s will for you could have been written as “this is God’s will for everyone.
Why did the Holy Spirit tell the apostle Paul to write “for you” and not “for everyone”?
Maybe because “for You” is much more personable. “For everyone “means almost 7 billion people
For you means YOU
YOU means God knows your name. He knows your name is YOU!
YOU means YOU matter to God
If God knows you then he must know everything that‘s going on in your life.
If God knows you then it means He cares about everything that’s going on in your life
If God knows YOU then he has done something for you to help you give thanks in all circumstances
Step 5
Step 5 “In Christ Jesus”
“Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18)
Yes you and I might find ourselves in some difficulties… but that’s not the only thing we are in.
We are also in Christ Jesus.
The very moment a person receives Jesus as their savior the Holy Spirit takes them and puts them in Christ. If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation….
If we have a hard time giving thanks in all circumstances ….There is a way to get the victory!
It’s taking the time and discovering in the Bible all the blessings God has given us in Christ Jesus. Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)
Illustration: The miracle berry
You eat this miracle berry. It makes everything that you eat afterwards taste sweet
Lemons, limes…vinegar,
Conclusion
You may be here today and you may be experiencing some terrible circumstances in your life. Don’t give thanks for those circumstances Give thanks in those circumstances.
