The Will Of God: Thankfulness

“The Will of God”

‘Thankfulness’

I Thes. 5: 18

Introduction

· Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When asked, "Why is that there?" Alex Haley answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words & think that they are wonderful, & begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post & remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help."

That is the basis of thankfulness - to remember that we got here with the help of God, & that He is the provider of every blessing we have.

· Being ‘thankful’ is not passive, but active. That is to say, it is not something that is done TO you, it is done BY you!

· Our text, tells us that the will of God for our lives is to be thankful, but why?

· II Tim. 3:1-7

· In life, all people (including Christians) will be placed into situations which we may not like. Situations that may go against what we want. Situations that are down right awful. But the Word of God tells us, no, it commands us, to give thanks, in EVERY THING, because giving thanks is the will of God for our lives.

We’re Commanded to Be Thankful …

I. At the Right Time, ‘in everything’

A. The Right Time is All the Time, ‘in everything’

1. ‘In the whole of a matter’

2. ‘all’, ‘any’, ‘every’, ‘always’, ‘daily’, ‘throughly’, ‘whatsoever’, ‘whosoever’

B. The Right Time is in All Places,

1. God doesn’t ask you to do one thing at Church and something different at work.

2. God doesn’t ask you to do one thing at Church and something different at home

3. Thankfulness is as much a part of the Christian practice as is prayer.

a. Should we put down prayer when we leave Church, and pick it up when we come back?

b. Should we put down thankfulness when we leave Church and pick it up when we come back?

C. The Right Time is Among All People

1. Among non-Christians Ps. 18:49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

2. Among Christians, Ps. 35: 18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

3. When you’re by yourself, Ps. 19: 62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

We’re Commanded to Be Thankful …

II. To the Right Person

A. The Right Person is Right, because of Who He Is

1. Isa. 45: 22 “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

2. The Attributes of God

a. He is Merciful

b. He is Loving

c. He is Faithful

d. He is Sovereign

e. He is Holy

f. He is All-Powerful

g. He is All-Knowing

h. He is All-Present

i. He is Long-Suffering

B. The Right Person is Right, because of What He’s done

1. In time, past

a. He has never made a mistake

b. All that He has done has been good

2. In time, to come

a. His plan will come to fruition (completion) according to His perfect will, in His perfect time

b.

C. The Right Person is Right, because of What He is doing

1. Rom. 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

2. Phil. 1: 6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

We’re Commanded to Be Thankful …

III. For the Right Reason

A. Right Reason #1: Because it’s God’s will

B. Right Reason #2: Because it’s God’s will

C. Right Reason #3: Because it’s God’s will

Conclusion

· We are commanded to ‘Give Thanks’

· We are commanded to ‘Give Thanks in every thing’

· We are commanded to ‘Give Thanks in every thing’, because this is God’s will for our lives!

· Can we give thanks if …

o The car breaks down, or we don’t have a car?

o Our Health is bad, or we have 2 months to live?

o Our friends have forsaken us, or we have never had friends?

o Our job is down sizing, or we don’t have a job?

· You can give thanks when …

o The world is against us, because God is for us

o The devil is attacking, because God is defending