What is Gratitude?

***Series Title Slide***

Today we are starting a new series leading up to the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This series is titled The Heart of Gratitude. Next week, Aaron will give us a case study on Gratitude and the week after, Travis will give us a testimony of gratitude.

***Sermon Title Slide***

This week, I hope I can answer the question What is Gratitude?

Before I get into that, I want to give you a quote from a preacher I heard this week. Not sure who he was, since I heard it in passing, the quote is this: “It is not God’s ultimate will for me to be a pastor.” He went on to say that when we place an inordinate amount of worth in what it is that we do as it relates to God’s will, if something changes we become disoriented and question God’s will.

I was thinking about that this week for myself. I do think that right now, in this season, and for the last 9 years, it has been God’s will for me to pastor this church. I don’t think pastoring is God’s ultimate will for me though.

At some point, I will not longer pastor here and if I believe my worth and God’s will is wrapped up in my role here as pastor, I will struggle with who I am and what my worth is. I think that can happen for any of us.

I’ve seen that we have a tendency to place so much of our worth and what we think we have to offer God in our roles, our positions and what we do. We subtly call us doing those things God’s will for our lives.

But what if I’ve placed the label of God’s will on my ability to preach and then have an accident where I suffer a brain injury? That may seem unlikely, but here are some every day scenarios...

Someone with an amazing career has it ended by an illness. You serve and work in your role for many years and then reach the age of retirement. If that career and service is the source of your identity and what you see as God’s will for your life and it goes away, I’m guessing your going to struggle with how you see yourself after.

The only thing that is certain in this life is change. I said this to someone yesterday…just when you find a normal in your life, everything changes. Change is constant.

If we serve a God who never changes, yet our circumstances are in what seems to be a never ending state of change, what does that mean for God’s will for our lives?

My goal today is for us all to see God’s will for our lives is not wrapped up in what role we have, who we marry or where we live, instead is all about who we are in Christ. How Christ in us changes how we see the world no matter our circumstances.

Today’s passage is very short. I’d like you all to read it with me aloud from what is up on the screens. I know some of you may have a slightly different translation, but I’d like you to read it all together with me.

This passage is from 1 Thessalonians 5. This is the end of the letter and Paul is giving a final few exhortations…he is giving them some final commands or instructions on a Christ centered life.

Let’s read together.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

I have learned over the years to not use absolute words like always, never, all the time…in most ways we use those words we would be incorrect. Yet, here, Paul uses three phrases with absolute modifiers of the verbs.

Rejoice Always,

Pray Continually,

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

The best trilogy of them all.

Let’s go through each of these three phrases...

1 Thessalonians 5:16 NIV

16 Rejoice always,

This word rejoice has the root word for joy in it, but this is more than just a feeling. This is more that just an outwardly expression of joy. This is active posture in response to the hope we have in Christ. The hope we have in what Jesus has done and will do for us. Sometimes we have to choose to rejoice when everything in us wants not to.

Always literally means always, at all times, for all eternity.

This is a command for us, two simple words, easy to understand, but unless our hope is rooted in our relationship with Jesus, this will be a very difficult command to follow.

Let me give you a couple of opposites of rejoice…I want to do this to potentially point out any areas where you might not be rejoicing…let it be a challenge to you to rejoice when you might be prone to: Lament, regret, bemoan.

Rejoice always, next...

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV

17 pray continually,

We typically see prayer a time to ask God for something. To petition Him to intervene, to provide, to give us something. Prayer is more that that. It is a conversation with the God of the universe. Sometimes it’s just telling him how amazing his creation is. How wonderful the love he has for us. It’s expressing our concerns, our thoughts, our wants. Just talking with Him.

What if we had the posture that God, through Jesus was always just right there…cause he is. You ever just sit with someone without saying anything? I can do that sometimes, but mostly there is this need to fill the silence.

Imagine just being in this relationship with the God of the universe where you are just drawn to talk with him continually. That is prayer.

I remember taking a trip to Florida with Renee when my uncle passed away. It’s about a 20ish hour drive. We did it over 2 days and there wasn’t a single moment on that drive where we weren’t talking with each other. That drive was the most enjoyable, quickest 20 hour drive ever.

Rejoice Always, Pray continually and finally

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV)

18 give thanks in all circumstances;...

We went out to eat with some friends last night. I watched how every time the waiter came, our friends and Renee thanked him. Even if it was just to thank him for coming to check in on us. I wondered if at some point the chorus of thank-yous was ever obnoxious or too much. I don’t think it was…I am not sure we can express gratitude too much.

I know there are times in my own life when I was made to say thanks…I remember watching a video of myself as a 7 or 8 year old at my birthday party with friends. I opened a gift and it was the same star wars set I got the night before from my parents. As a clueless kid, I proceeded to announce that I had already received that toy. My mom tried to guide me to say thanks, but I insisted on finishing letting this friend know I already had that one. Finally I relented to my mom’s guidance and let out a half hearted thanks.

I didn’t mean it and my friends face said that he knew I didn’t mean it.

Sometimes we have to say things we don’t really mean and we should say them. We should keep saying them until we mean them. I believe that is the case with the word Thanks. I realize in myself, this is not a very natural thing. I am not sure why, but I sometimes watch others and see the ease at which the words thank you come out. I wonder if they’ve learned that or it just comes.

Regardless, this verse doesn’t seem like it makes room for those of us who have to work at gratitude. In all the circumstances, even if we have to muster it up from somewhere deep, we are to give thanks.

When we get a gift we’ve already received…give thanks.

When we get the best gift ever…give thanks.

When we get the worst gift ever…give thanks.

When someone is kind and opens a door for us…give thanks.

When someone is rude and cuts us off in traffic…give thanks.

When we are healed…give thanks.

When we get a difficult diagnosis…give thanks.

In all circumstances give thanks.

There are a few things in life worth doing, even if your not going to do it well. They say showing up to the gym and having a bad workout is better than no workout at all - just showing up is worth it.

Even if you don’t really want to be grateful…give thanks.

The amazing thing about this trilogy of commands is what Paul says after....

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 NIV

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

We spend a lot of time trying to hear God’s will for us in our lives. Should I apply for this job or that? Should I ask this girl out or that one? Should I move or stay? What should I study in college? The questions are endless. These are good questions to ask, but they really aren’t the right question when it comes to God’s will.

Based on this verse, I don’t think God’s ultimate will for us ever changes. I think it has been the same from the very beginning of creation. Just as a matter of clarification, it’s not just these three things, there are others such as pursuing holiness and upright living, Glorifying Him with our lives, making disciples…among others, but we would be well off to do these three: Rejoice, Pray, Give Thanks.

These three are in God’s will for your life. In fact there are promises that are given to you based on these three. Turn with me to Philippians 4…I think we’ll hear more from this passage next week..

Philippians 4:4–7 NIV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

***I will likely pause and talk on verse 4, 6 and 7***

***When I read below, put up Sermon title slide***

One of the things I see people wanting when they are seeking God’s will is a peace about the decision or direction. You want to know if you are where God wants you to be.

Let me say to you today that if you are rejoicing always, in both the good and bad; if you are praying and talking with God continually…not just when something is a need, but just because; if you are giving thanks in all circumstances…I don’t think you’ll be that far off from God’s will for your life.

The Greek word for give thanks has at the root of the word to rejoice or to be glad. Our gratitude flows directly from the joy we have in the Lord. Gratitude is very closely related to rejoicing.

Close.