Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks To God

1 Thes 5:17 ccPray without ceasing.

To begin with brothers and sisters, Christian Friends, Well Wishers and Saints of God Paul is wrapping up the first book of Thessalonians and he makes some profound declarations. He said at least 9 things in verses 16-21. Each topic could be it’s own sermon.

Because Paul starts off saying in verse 16 Rejoice evermore that means to always Be joyful. The word chairō is the original word in the Greek. It means to be Joyfully jubilant. And brothers and sisters things have a tendency to get better when we always Rejoice.

And here’s why True story there was a man who caught a stroke,and he began to laugh and laugh.. They called the ambulance and he kept on laughing. The ambulance Paramedics we astonished at his behavior. They said this is strange behavior. They got the man to the emergency room and the man was still laughing.... The doctors came in to ask questions and his daughter said daddy won’t stop laughing… The did the KAT SCAN and all test came back negative. The Hospital kept him over night for observation. The next day they let the man go home. The man got up out of the wheel chair, and could walk and talk and move on his own. His family was amazed at how daddy laughed his way out of a stroke. And I said that’s biblical. because Proverbs said Laughter is like a medicine for a sin sick soul. I try to laugh more often nowadays. I try to rejoice evermore. I try to engage in the word of God so deep until the stories of the bible come alive and some of them makes me laugh to tears.

Then 2. In verse 17 Pray without ceasing. That mean Pray continually Pray in the Greek is proseuchomai and it means to earnestly pray to God, earnestly make a request to God, and to earnestly have a conversation with God with expectancy. Because ain’t no sense in praying to God if you don’t really believe that God answers prayer. So let me have a teaching moment right now to teach you how to pray. And this is classic my momo use to say now come on Raym let’s say our prayer before you go to bed. She’d say repeat after me. And I want y’all to repeat after me. Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us of our debts as we forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen. Then she’d teach me this Now lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep if I die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen. Then when I’m getting ready to eat.

I taught my children God is good a God is great lord we thank to for our food, we bow our head we must be fed give us lord our daily Amen Thank God. Teach your children to Pray. Teach them to say Lord Have mercy when they can’t say nothing else. Lord have Mercy will cover a lot of stuff.

And Sometimes I read other prayers that come to me everyday and I customize them.and here’s on that made the cut Dear Lord, I just want to say thank you. Thank you Lord and no matter what I face today, I believe that with You by my side, I can overcome any challenge. I thank You in advance for supporting me every step of the way, giving me strength in times of trouble, making a way out of no way . When it seems to be no way out , Lord you always provide a way. And Lord you bring me great Joy when I began to worry about things that I can’t change. Lord watch over my church family especially the children of our church, community and school systems. And Lord please continual to watch over our children and grandchildren when they are not in our presence. Fix it Jesus, Fix it Like you said You would. All of these things I ask in the Mighty, matchless, majestic, melodious, and magnanimous name of Jesus Christ and the church said Amen.

The text not only say to rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing but the text also says in verse 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Give thanks Nobody likes an ungrateful soul. Tell the Lord thank you. You woke me up this morning thank you, You started me on my way Lord I say thank You. You gave me a reasonable portion of health and strength Lord I want say thank You . You put food on my table Lord I want to say thank You. You put a roof over my head Lord I want say thank you. You put clothes on my back and shoes on my feet Lord I want to say thank You. And for the children Lord you let me go to a good decent safe high efficiency school where I can learn and grow into a responsible adult and Lord I want to say thank you. Lord you let most of us live in neighborhoods that doesn’t have hate and robbing and killing and shooting and murder and domestic violence and Lord I want to say thank You. And the church said Amen. Thank You Lord. Because when I think about the goodness of the Lord and I look back and wonder how I made it over my soul crys out… Thank You Lord. The bible says it’s good to give thanks unto the Lord and to call righteousness righteousness Look at Psalms 75:1 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. 2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. This means that we can’t say thank you to God and then turn around and do wicked stuff and still want God’s blessings.

This children’s Sunday and I’m inclined to teach the children the word of God. Listen Children the word of God says

19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit.

Don’t quench the Spirit.

20 Do not scoff at prophecies, That means that sometimes the Good Lord will send a prophecy to the church and you’ve got to be receptive enough to receive that word from God. And the church said Amen

21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. That means try the Spirit by the Spirit to see whether it’s of God or not. Children if something doesn’t feel right in your gut don’t do it.

Tell your neighbor: Don’t do it!!!

Then the b clause of verse 21 also says To hold on to what is good. Don’t you go and side with a bully just to get along with the clicke. or to be accepted in the clan, or the gang or the posses. And Church we’ve got to stand for what is right even in the face of a bully.

VP Kamala Harris stood up to fox news commentator and told him how they were inaccurately reporting the facts. And Listen folks the truth is the truth. And I’ve learned to stand for the truth no matter what. Because people can change to fake facts but the truth will endure forever. I know I’m right because Jesus said I Am the way the Truth and the Life No man comes to the Father but by Me.

Last thing an I’m finished

Verse 22 says “Stay away from every kind of evil”. Since it’s children Sunday I’m going to keep it simple. The Marine corp’s motto is keep it simple stupid and nobody will miss the lesson. Verse 22 says away from every kind of evil right?

Well in the book of Genesis the Lord told Adam and Eve not to eat off the tree of knowledge and good and evil, because the day you eat off of that tree you shall surely die. Both Adam and Eve clearly understood God’s directives, Both Adam and Eve could follow the rules because they were taught the rules by God Himself.

And here comes the serpent ( a snake). The snake told Eve that God was lying. And Eve believe the snake. Let me just say this to you God is not a man that He should lie.

Tell your neighbor: God Don’t Lie. God Never Lies. And so Eve ate the fruit off the tree that God said Not too eat off of. And get this now, Adam was right there by sides Eve while this whole conversation was going on. Adam knew it was wrong what the snake had done but even more wrong what his wife Eve had done. Adam could have stopped that conversation from the begin. The bible says that Adam was right there by Eve. And then Eve gave Adam the Apple and he eat off the tree too. Brothers and sisters verse 22 Stay away from every kind of evil. Listen to me there are consequences for doing wrong stuff.

Tell your neighbor it will catch up with you.

Yeah 3x God found out about what Adam and Eve and the snake did and put all of them out of the Garden of Eden. And mankind no longer lives forever on earth. And now as a results on Adam and Eve not Staying away from every kind of evil. now mankind experiences the Fall of Man and Now we need a savior. But not any kind of Savior We Need a Kinsman Redeemer to save us.

And that’s Jesus came down through 42 generations too save mankind from a low bottom hell. I’m so glad I’ve got Jesus as my Lord and Savior. And I’m so glad that I’ve been baptized and Born Again and washed in the Blood of the Lamb And the important question today is have you been baptized. and are you willing to give your life to Jesus Christ .

The door of the Church is Open is there one today that will step out on faith and believe in Jesus Christ and be baptized?