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Thanksgiving is approaching and often when families come together they celebrate together and take the opportunity to give thanks.
In fact we have a Thanksgiving tradition in our family, where everybody shares at least one thing they are thankful for.
Introduction: Thanksgiving is approaching and often when families come together they celebrate together and take the opportunity to give thanks.
In fact we also have a tradition in our family where everybody shares at least one thing they are thankful for.
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
When the New England colonies were first planted,
the settlers endured many challenges and difficulties.
Again and again they turned to God with prayer and fasting,
Again and again they turned to God with prayer and fasting,
constantly thinking about all the difficulties they were going through made them gloomy
and even considered returning to the old country of persecution.
Again someone proposed that they should appoint another time of fasting and prayer.
But a colonist rose up in the meeting and said,
“We’ve been thinking and praying about our difficulties long ago, it is about time to consider the mercies of God.
The colony was growing strong,
the fields were increasing in harvest,
the rivers were full of fish, the air was sweet,
the families were healthy now, and they have civil and religious freedom.”
Instead of another day of fasting and prayer,
he proposed to have a day of Thanksgiving.
His advice was taken and since then many have taken time to give Thanks to God for all His wonderful blessings.
But going further back in history,
there was another person who in the midst of hardship chose to give thanks instead of thinking about his own difficulties.
And this person has left us some timely and practical advice as we celebrate Thanksgiving.
This person is the apostle Paul, turn with me to .
(Read all the verses)
Paul was in prison with almost certain death awaiting him.
His present circumstance was horrible.
His immediate future looked bleak,
and yet he was not only filled with joy, but wrote to the Philippian believers to rejoice,
but notice, two things about this joy.
First, they are to rejoice in the Lord,
and second they are to rejoice always.
You can only rejoice always, if you rejoice in the Lord.
Let me say that again, you can only rejoice always, when you rejoice in the Lord.
If Christ is your Lord, you will rejoice always.
You won’t be able to rejoice always if you don’t have a real, authentic, personal relationship with Jesus.
When Paul writes to “rejoice in the Lord,” he clarifies the type of rejoicing he is talking about.
The type of rejoicing that Paul is talking about is not an outward feeling that you experience when something great happens,
but an abiding joy that comes from trust in and commitment to Jesus Christ.
Christian joy is independent of all things on earth.
Two people that are in love are always happy when they are together, no matter where they are.
And as Christians, if our hearts belong to Jesus and we trust in Him, are committed to Him,
we could never lose our joy, no matter what we may be going through,
because we could never lose Christ.
Our joy is in Christ.
Now, this is easier said than done.
Because a professional, Christian football player can easily and joyfully give glory to God for a touchdown,
get in his Ferrari after the game and drive to his 3.5 million dollar home.
But a Christian who is struggling in his daily life to just make it financially.
A Christian who lost a loved one and is painfully grieving will have a hard time with Paul’s counsel to rejoice always.
This week on Wednesday we received some very sad news.
Early in the morning as I was having my devotions,
my husband shared with me to pray for a teacher at SVA who was in the hospital in the ICU.
As I was praying for the Lord to heal her, we received the news that she passed away.
Kimberly Orr, who was a very young teacher, just 31 years old.
Died of complications from the flu.
Her students, third and fourth graders at SVA were hurting terribly when they received the news.
She left behind her husband and two year old daughter, Scarlett.
Paul’s counsel of may seem insensitive at a time of great grief and loss.
But even at this time of great pain, Christian joy shows up in the form of Christian hope.
And the rest of this week, her students had time to share memories and receive hope,
hope that Christ will come and resurrect our loved ones.
We didn’t share with the students to rejoice always, but we shared with them hope in Jesus.
You see, Joy doesn’t always come in laughter and a good feeling,
joy may show up in the form of trust and hope in the midst of great pain and loss.
As I think of my friends and family that are gathering together this Thanksgiving,
I also think of all the hardships and even loss.
Can we still give thanks even in times of hard times?
The pilgrims did, the apostle Paul did...
and the reason they were able to give thanks is because their rejoicing was in the Lord.
But with joy comes gentleness, patience, softness.
Verse 5 – (Read verse 5 again).
Some translations translate the Greek word as gentleness, others as patience, others as softness.
When our joy is in the Lord it ought to make us gentle, patient, and soft.
There is no joy in selfishness, there is no joy in wanting to have our own way.
Joy comes in having our eyes on Jesus.
Joy comes in gentleness towards others and softness in our dealing with each other.
Now we come to some practical advice on how to rejoice always in the Lord, look at verses 6, and 7 (read again verses 6 and 7).
Verse 6, 7 – Notice how Paul moves from anxiety to peace.
We are invited to turn our anxieties over to the Lord for His peace,
a peace that will guard our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.
Now Paul knew that the Philippian life was full of worry and anxiety.
And apparently not much has changed, because our lives are also filled with much anxiety and worry.
I am pretty sure that all of us have experienced anxiety over a matter one time or another.
We have worried about the past and we may worry about the present and even worry about the future.
And the best way to combat worry and an anxious heart is prayer.
And the way we trade in our anxiety for peace is prayer, for peace is the fruit of prayer.
Turn to your neighbor and tell them, “peace is the fruit of prayer.”
Now in just this one verse, verse 6, Paul teaches us how to pray practically.
First, Paul encourages us to bring everything to God in prayer.
Prayer is not to be the last option but the first and best action we turn to.
And we are to pray about everything.
Did you notice Paul uses words that we are counseled never to use when we discuss serious matters with people.
For example when you are in a sharp disagreement, especially with your spouse, you don’t use words like “never, always, everything.”
Like, “you never take out the garbage.”
And you always throw your socks on the floor.
And you never wash the dishes and everything you do is bad.
But when it comes to our relationship with Christ, words such as always and everything are appropriate.
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