Sermon - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - A Lot to be Thankful for - Littleby Baptist Church - November 15, 2020

 As we head into Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are taking a break from the Things We Need… series. Most years we do spend several weeks focused on Christmas, but do not usual break for Thanksgiving. This year more than others, I felt we needed to take some extra time and remember what we truly have to be thankful for.

If I were to say ‘2020 has been a rough year.’ Some of you might tell me that is a bit of an understatement!

The year started hearing about this virus in China and we started praying for them and praying that it would not be as serious as we were hearing. Political turmoil followed based on decisions to limit travel. Then the virus hit our country and many people lost their jobs, forced to take unpaid time off, businesses have closed, and the overall economy has been hurt. Sadly, instead of our leaders pulling together for the good of the nation, we saw more political turmoil. If that was not enough a couple of bad people did some bad things, which triggered protests, that lead to riots, and more and more violence spread across the country. Fear of the virus, fear of riots, fear of being ‘labeled’ has gripped our great nation. As if all of that was not bad enough, we have had a pretty nasty political season that is not technically over yet.

Then we can add a record number of hurricanes, wildfires destroying part of the west coast, floods in China, continued fighting in the middle east, and murder hornets have arrived in the USA.

I have not even touched on the struggles many of us and our loved ones have faced. There are many people we are praying for God to touch them in many ways.

2020 has been one of those years. But I have heard it said that 2020 is the year that has helped some to clearly see what is truly important. If that is true, we have something to be Thankful for.

If a single soul has been saved, if people have returned to Jesus, we have a LOT to be Thankful for.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

“¹⁸ give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is saying we need to be thankful regardless of our circumstances. Knowing what some have endured this year, knowing that the future is going to continue to be challenging, knowing that some of us are facing battles every day, it can be hard to ‘give thanks in everything.’

Looking at the second half of this verse it tells us that ‘this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.’ Sometimes this gets interpreted as the troubles are part of God’s will for our lives, but that is not what Paul was saying. Let’s take a look at verses 16-18 together.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray constantly, ¹⁸ give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

God’s will for all of His followers is that we Rejoice Always, Pray Constantly, and Give Thanks in Everything. His will is that regardless of what is going on, that we rejoice in who He is, we take time to talk to our Him, and we give Thanks for what our Savior has done for us. It is our Lord’s will that we stay focused on Him through the storms we are facing. His will is not that we have storms, but that we are looking to Him in all things.

If we can stay focused on Him, it is easier to Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks.

Romans 8:28

“²⁸ We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

Regardless of how bad things may be at times or how rough it feels, God uses the good things and the bad things in our life to bring us closer to Him. This verse is not pointing to the here and now, it is not referring to our time here on earth at all. It is saying that God will use all that happens in this life to draw us to perfection in Glory with Him.

If we hold on to the truth that God will use all this stuff to bring us to Him, it can help us to remember to Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks… but being 100% honest here… it is easier said than done.

If I look back on 2020 so far, I prayed a lot, but I struggled rejoicing and giving thanks. The day job was harder this year than I think any before it. I had to remind myself to be thankful I had a job at times. I am beyond thankful that God allows me to continue to serve here at Littleby as it is one of the things in my life that helped me to stay grounded when work was falling apart. I can honestly say that every time we got together virtually or physically my heart truly rejoiced. It felt like the time we spent together honoring our God brought peace, helped me to center on what is truly important, and it recharged me. Those are times that I Rejoiced and Gave Thanks, but it was not always and for everything.

We may not realize it at the time, but God does use all garbage and all the blessings to draw us into His presence. If you have drawn closer to your God during all the craziness of 2020, there is your proof that God uses all things to draw you to Him and the closer we are to Him the easier it is to Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks.

Colossians 3:12

“¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,”

Paul is writing these words to the Colossian church and the first part of the verse lists three things we should be thankful for. Things we should be thankful for each and every day, even if we are struggling to find something.

The first listed here is that we have been chosen by our God. When we committed our life to Jesus, we were grafted into the Family of God. Through putting our faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus we are no longer lost sinners but are valued and honored children of God. Through that adoption, we have been chosen by God to spend an eternity with Him.

The second is that we have been made Holy by the blood of Jesus that washed away all of our sins. Through His sacrifice we will be transformed from this sinful worldly shell we live in, to Holy people who can be in the presence of God. Without Jesus’ sacrifice this would not be possible. Our sin, even if we have repented of it, would keep us separated from God. Being made Holy by our Lord, through His blood, allows us to spend an eternity in Glory. An amazing gift that we need to be thankful for.

We have been chosen by our God, we have been made Holy through His sacrifice, all because of the third items which is, we are ‘dearly loved’ by the creator of the universe.

John 3:16

“¹⁶ For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Because we are ‘dearly loved’ our Father in Heaven sent His Son Jesus to pay for our sins and give us new life.

Because we are ‘dearly loved.’

The love of God for His creation, which includes each of us, is something to be Thankful for no matter what is happening in our lives.

2020 has been a year of trials and tribulations. Many of us have struggled to find things to rejoice over and to be thankful for. When we feel that way, we need to remember that our God does Love us. Love so great that He sent His only Son to die for us, to make us Holy, and to make us part of His family.

Remembering these truths will help us to Rejoice Always, Pray Constantly, and to Give Thanks in Everything.

If we look at Colossians 3:12 again.

Colossians 3:12

“¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience,”

Those who are chosen by God, made holy, and dearly loved should live their lives with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

The point Paul is making is very similar to the point in 1 Thessalonians, where we are told that Rejoicing, Praying, and Giving Thanks are all part of God’s will for us. Here we are being told that if we are God’s chosen, holy, and dearly loved we need to live with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are behaviors that should be part of who we are as we follow our Lord Jesus.

If we are showing compassion to others. Being kind to people in needed. Living with humility as we recognize who God is, being gentle is our daily lives, and being patient as we let our Lord guide our lives, our focus is on our God and not on our struggles. If we are focusing on God it is much easier to Rejoice, Pray, and Give Thanks.

2 Corinthians 9:15

“¹⁵ Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

A very powerful statement that Paul wrote to the Corinthian church.

Thank God for the most amazing, undeserved, awesome gift that defies all logic and reason. A gift that we cannot earn. A gift that has been given freely by our God.

No matter what 2020 has brought us, we can still be Thankful for God’s indescribable gift! A gift of Love, a gift that gives us Hope, a gift that brings Peace, and Joy. A gift that truly sets us Free and gives us Life.

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

We have a lot to be thankful for!

Take a moment and look around the room. We should be thankful for each person here, the families they represent, and that they are part of the life here at Littleby.

2020 has been a crazy year, but there has been a lot of good that has come with it.

We have had visitors, we have confirmations of people who have watched our services from around the country, people who have become regular attenders, a baptism, a wedding, and a new baby.

We have a lot to be thankful for!

Remember it is our Lord’s will for us to Rejoice Always, Pray Constantly, and to Give Thanks in Everything.

Before we close in prayer, what are you thankful for?

Blessings,

Robert