Thanksgiving Lesson 2

Thesis: To walk in true thankfulness, we have to appreciate the spiritual leaders in our lives, live in peace, and rejoice in every situation.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

Introduction

Why are you thankful for what you’re thankful for?

What is the source of our thankfulness? Why is it God? What does that teach us about Him?

What are some things we aren’t always thankful for?

How does God use these things to teach us? What does this teach us about Him?

Context:

Rapture; don’t sleep but be awake and sober

Appreciate Our Spiritual Leaders (v. 12-13)

What should we appreciate about the spiritual leaders in our lives? Why should we appreciate them?

Application:

Practicing your appreciation for them reminds you why you’re thankful for them, the source of your relationship with them is your mutual love for the Lord and desire to grow in Him.

Live In Peace (v. 13-15)

Peace - harmony (LBS)

Admonish - instruct, warn (LBS)

Encourage - comfort (LBS)

Help - be devoted to (LBS)

Be Patient - be longsuffering (LBS)

Do not seek revenge…

Application:

Practicing peace among the brethren, whether they be wayward or faithful, requires us to rely on the Lord. He teaches us to walk in love rather than fleshly arogance.

Rejoice In Every Situation (v. 16-18)

Rejoice always - be glad (LBS)

Pray without ceasing - always pray

With thankfulness in mind, why pray without ceasing?

God uses prayer to remind us to rejoice. Be honest in your prayers, but remember to be thankful for what God has blessed you with… (“all flesh is not the same flesh”)

v. 18

God’s will is our thankfulness no matter what…

Application:

The thankfulness God teaches us to have is not bound in circumstance but is bound in the character or God, and in our relationship with Him God teaches us more about the perfect consistency of His character leading us to be more consistent in ours…

Conclusion

Consistently living in appreciation for those God places in spiritual leadership in our lives, practicing living in peace with one another in every situation of our brethren, and rejoicing in every situation in our own lives, teaches us to be consistently thankful, and the reason is because the source of that thankfulness is God… (even when others annoy us or our situation isn’t favorable…)