God's will for thankfulness

If the book of 1 Thessalonians were to be summed up it would be summed up in the statement “Jesus is coming, and him coming back ought to affect out living”.

It is in this fifth and final chapter we find some closing instructions on what God would have us do and how we should do them.

We see instructions on worship, respect of leaders, mindfulness of believers, work ethic and various other things!

It is in verses 5:16-18 we see a slight different command

It is an admonishment to an attitude as opposed to an action.

1 Thess 5:16-18 “16 Rejoice evermore. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

Did you know that God calls you to thankfulness!

Thankfulness- expressing praise and gratefulness, rendering thanks, to show gratefulness

God has called us to ALWAYS be thankful! No matter the circumstance! IT IS HIS WILL THAT WE ARE THANKFUL!

I want us to look at what it means to be thankful and most importantly HOW to be thankful.

Person responsible to our thankfulness

Jesus is the source of our thankfulness!

“In Christ Jesus”

All people should be be thankful but the Christian has no just so much to be thankful for but SOMEONE!

We are to be thankful in Jesus!

God extended his goodness to us trough Jesus and that is something that we should be thankful for!

Psalm 100::4-5 “4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.”

2 Cor 9:15 “15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”

See he is good to all people but to those that are saved we know it first hand!

He loved us while we did not love him

He payed for our sins

He took my death

He saved me although I did nothing to deserve it!

The response to his goodness is praise and thanksgiving!

This thankfulness should have real implications for our life!

Col 3:17 “17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

WHATEVER WE DO SHOULD BE MARKED BY THANKFULNESS TO GOD!

based in thankfulness!

Persistence of our thankfulness

Not limited to circumstances or possessions but a person! If our reason for thanks was based in people it would come and go but it is in JESUS!

It is not in our stuff!

Luke 12:23 “23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.”

Our thankfulness is deeper than stuff because our reason to be thankful is!

2 Cor 2 14 “14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”

Although circumstances may change, Christ won’t!

Hebrews 13:8 “8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

It is due to his unchangeableness that we can always be thankful even when our things change.

Phil 4:6 “6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Purpose of our thankfulness

God is praised when we thank him!

Psalm 69:30 “30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify him with thanksgiving.”

Psalm 116:17 “17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, And will call upon the name of the Lord.”

Hebrews 13:15 “15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

When we thank him he is worshiped!

It is God’s will that he be magnified in out life!

We are worshippers!

We have been commanded to be thankful! We have every reason to be! Let us live it!