We have just finished up with our Easter season. During Holy Week, we reflected on all that Jesus did for us. And we can’t help but to go away with gratitude, being thankful for Jesus doing so much for us. So, I thought I would look into the book of 1 Thessalonians and see what the Bible and the Apostle Paul has to say about living with a consistent attitude of gratitude.
When I was in the first grade, ButterKrust bakery used to be downtown. We took a field trip there that year. And I can still specifically remember the process that they went through to make bread. It smelled so good. But one thing I remember is the last step of that tour we watched the loaves of bread make their way down a conveyor belt through the oven.
I think about the conveyor belts in our factories and it reminds me of the Christian life as we’re moved along in our growth to become equipped by Christ. We’re conveyed, so to speak, through a variety of experiences in life. We meet many challenges along the way. But no matter where life takes us, as Christians, we should have one trait that is always riding along with us, and that trait is gratitude.
Now, I must say right up front that gratitude is more than a simple “thank you.” Gratitude should be a way of living. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Thessalonians and in that writing, you can tell that he understood that if this ingredient of gratitude is a vital ingredient in our every day lives, it will transform our lives and our church. God not only wants us to be a church that is thankful, but He wants us to have gratitude as an important part of our everyday lives.
Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians was one of his earliest letters that he wrote. His ministry in Thessalonica wasn’t very long and the church now had questions and concerns over what would happen to those who had recently died. That led to more questions about the return of Christ. Keep in mind that persecution was still an everyday issue in the city, so fear filled the hearts of some. Every chapter in 1 Thessalonians references the return of Christ and so the book, as a whole, points to how believers are to live in the hope of Christ’s return.
Read 1 Thess. 5:12. As Paul gets close to the end of this letter he wrote in v. 11, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.” Then in verse 12 he points to one way we can offer encouragement and that is to express to leaders in the church.
Now Paul’s words mean more that simply paying the church leaders more attention than you normally would on a Sunday morning. The word Paul uses means more about appreciating their true worth and then showing your appreciation of them with an understanding of the sacrificial nature of what they do.
So, Paul’s challenge was a clear one: honor those who are serving Christ by leading His church. Now, as I say that, some of us may think back to the time we disagreed with a decision made by the church leadership. We may have felt that the leaders made a mistake. It’s happened more than you realize.
Or maybe the pastor wasn’t meeting our expectations one way or another. But you see, the Holy Spirit isn’t asking us to honor leaders because they’re 100% agreeable to our tastes or because they’re perfect, because neither one of those will ever be. Nor is the Holy Spirit asking us to honor a pastor simply because he carries the title but doesn’t display the example of Christ.
The Spirit is calling us to practice loving submission to our leaders out of submission to Christ and to the authority he has given the church leaders. He’s calling us to recognize with respect the sacrificial way leaders carry out their calling. Christ is calling us to set aside our personal preferences and replace them with grace-filled expressions of love for those who serve.
For added emphasis to verse 12, Paul adds in verse 13, READ. Paul’s aim for us is to “be at peace among yourselves.” In most any church, any church where people are involved that is, if not handled well, disagreements between leaders and the congregation can divide a church. They can be destructive.
And disagreements can be so petty. A church that had a vibrant ministry and was having a powerful impact on their community. But then, a disagreement began to form. While it seemed small and insignificant at first, it grew and grew until the church was sharply divided. When it was apparent that this issue could not be solved in a manner that would be suitable to everyone, half of the congregation left to form their own church. Today, while both churches still exist, neither has the outreach ministry that they did before.
Would you like to know what the disagreement was over? Well, it seems that the church, after their services, would have a time of fellowship with coffee and light refreshments. The disagreement was over whether the coffee should be served by the back door or in the fellowship hall. An issue that small and petty destroyed what had been a great ministry. So, Paul says, “Be at peace among yourselves.”
How can we do that? Take an active step to resolve or let go of any conflict you have with another Christian. Ask God for help in this situation and for His peace to be evident.
READ 1 Thess. 5:14-15. Paul wrote these words to the Thessalonian church as they encountered persecution from Jews and Gentiles alike. Do Christians today persecute other churches? YES. We see it all the time. Joel Osteen’s ministry has come under heavy attack from other prominent religious leaders. So has Joyce Meyers.
SEBC has come under attack by some in the community and from other churches over the years. It happens. It shouldn’t, but it happens. Paul’s advice is to not repay evil with evil and that points to the life of Jesus. He showed us how to do this when He went to the cross.
The OT Prophet spoke about this some 600+ years before Jesus was even born. In Isaiah 53:7 he prophesied, “7 He was oppressed and afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.”
Jesus paid a humiliating cost for us. Here’s the truth. We are so far out of line and disruptive, so sinful, that we disqualified ourselves from God’s presence. Yet Jesus still paid the price for us.
We who are so weak we couldn’t even begin to live the life that would allow us to see the kingdom of God. Jesus paid a humiliating cost for us.
Jesus paid a humiliating cost for us as He responded to our sin and rejection of Him and even in all the rejection He prays, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
We don’t have to pay the cost, Jesus did that for us. But when we follow His example of love and patience, then we’re in the position to help others grow in the life that Jesus made possible.
So, coming right off the heels of Paul saying to be at peace with one another, he offers several commands that help us to live that out.
? Warn the idle. That word “idle” that Paul uses is broader than just being lazy. It was used for someone who was out of line or disruptive. Those that were that way were not only bringing themselves down, they were bringing the church down as well.
? Comfort the discouraged and help the weak. The discouraged were those who were suffering from persecution. Those who were weak could have included those who were being persecuted, but also included the poor, the sick, the physically disabled, or those who suffered from the loss of a loved one.
? Be patient. To be able to comfort those just mentioned, Paul says they needed to be patient with everyone. Patience is one of those things we have to condition ourselves in.
A first-grade teacher was having a difficult day. It had rained all day and the children couldn’t go out for recess, so they got more and more restless and hyperactive as the day wore on. The teacher couldn’t wait for the bell to ring at 3 o’clock. About 2:45 she saw it was still raining, and so she decided to start getting the kids ready for dismissal. She sorted out their boots and raincoats and started helping get them on. Finally, they were ready to go, all except for one little boy whose boots were just too small for his feet. There were no zippers or straps, and it took every last ounce of strength she had to get them on.
When at last she did get them on, she straightened up with a sigh of relief. That’s when the little boy looked down at his feet and said, "Teacher, you know what? These boots aren’t mine!" She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but being the good teacher she was, she smiled bravely and started taking them off. And they were harder to get off than they were to put on. She yanked and tugged until finally the boots were off. That’s when the little boy smiled at her and said, "They’re not my boots, but they’re my sister’s, and I got to wear them!"
Paul reminds us to be patient with others when he told us to consider others as more important than yourselves. (Phil. 2:3)
? Do good to others instead of evil. Paul is basically saying, “NO REVENGE ALLOWED.” Instead they were to pursue what is best for the other person.
These 4 things would make for a happier society, a happier church, a happier person. Warn the idle, comfort the discouraged and help the weak, be patient, do good to others instead of evil. But Paul doesn’t stop there.
READ 1 Thess. 5:16-18. Paul gives 2 other commands that help us live a life of persistent, ongoing gratitude. Rejoice and pray—and do so continually. Now think about this for a moment. If it is God’s desire for us to give thanks in all things, this means that we’re continually aware of God’s presence, power, and conrol over evey circumstance.
But how do we do that? How do we rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in EVERYTHING. “Yes Lord, I never cease to give thanks and praise for everything in my life every day. Say what? What did I say when I slammed my finger in the cabinet door? ……………..
To do these things, we have to be in a continual disposition of prayer that keeps us in tune with God. Think of it this way. When you get a new car or rent a car, a lot of times the first thing we do is reprogram the radio stations so that with a touch of the finger we can lock into the music and news stations we enjoy, right?
So it is with this continual prayer that Paul speaks of. If we are to be aware of God’s control over all things and give Him thanks, we must continually lock into hearing from and talking with Him. We must open our hearts to what He’s saying. And when these things are related to thanksgiving and prayer, we tend to rejoice always. We rejoice for what God provides.
Are you thankful for God’s work in your life? If we are continually looking to God with thanksgiving for what He’s doing in the body (v.18), continually in tune with Him in prayer (v.17), and continually rejoicing (v.16) for His provision of the Spirit, we can’t help but be thankful for God’s ongoing work in our lives.
But Paul doesn’t stop there. READ 1 Thess. 5: 19-22. Paul warns against shutting down the work of the Spirit through other believers. God works through more than just me, more than through just you. Don’t despise what others suggest, but test them as well. God will let you know if it’s His will. And finally, Paul encouraged his readers to be vigilant and avoid all kinds of evil.
We are talking about living a life that exemplifies our daily gratitude. Remember, though, gratitude isn’t just reserved for the good things that are easy to be thankful for. We’re to “give thanks in EVERYTHING.” Even when we slam our finger in the door. In other words, we don’t give thanks FOR everything. We give thanks IN everything.
In good times as well as bad, we can still have an attitude of thanksgiving. If you live in that mindset, it begins to soften and shape our hearts so that our lives are marked by humility and grace—just like Jesus.
So God’s lesson for us today is to live a life of gratitude.
Our forefathers were not so much thankful for something as they were thankful in something.
In bounty or in want they were thankful.
In feast or in famine they were thankful.
In joy or in misery they were thankful.
There is a big difference between being thankful for things and being thankful in all things.
No matter what the circumstance in your life right now, be thankful IN the fact that God works all things for the good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.
May SEBC be known as a body of thankful believers.
