Be Thankful

We will be looking at a few different textsfrom 1 Thessalonians regarding thankfulness.  Paul is believed to have written this letter around 52 A.D. during his second missionaryJourney while he was in Corinth(Acts 16-18). 

In Acts 17

We learn a little about Thessalonicaand the people thereof.  Paul had preached there and many devoutGreeksalong with prominent womenbelieved and were being converted to the faith.  TheJewsbecame jealouswhen Paul started gaining the crowds and they were losing them. They ran Paul out of town, and he escaped to Berea.   

¹¹ Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.;

but it also says in verse 13-14

¹³ But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds. ¹⁴ Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there. 

Paul faced a great deal of oppositionfrom the people of Thessalonica. 

This letter to the church in Thessalonica was an encouragementto the brothers living there to live righteously in a society who for the most part have rejected the message of Jesus.  Paul’s intent in writing this letter is to express thankfulnessfor the good success his preachinghad among them and to establish them in the faith.  Several timesthroughout the letter Paul would express his thankfulness.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-3

¹ Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.  ² We give thanksto God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, ³ remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Paul does not start his letter by complainingabout being driven out of Thessalonica, but rather he starts off by giving thanks. He then begins to name the reasons for which he was thankful

Name Your Reasons for Being Thankful

1. He is thankful for their faith and their work. Not only did they abandon their idolsand had come to faithin Christ, but they were busy promotingthe gospel.  Newsabout their work had spreadto Macedonia which was about 45 milesaway and to Achaia.  (map of Thessalonica, Macedonia, Achaia)

⁸ For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

Basically, Paul tells them that they did such a good job preachingthe gospel that it was not necessary for Paul to say anything.  As a Pastor I’m thankfulfor all of you who have stepped up recently.

1. He is thankful for their love, after all it was their love in which they had sent Paul awayto escape the Jews and it was their labor of lovewhich enabled them to continue the spread of the gospel. We can demonstrate no higher lovefor one another, than to tell them about Jesusand how He has paid for their salvationupon the cross and has bought their freedom.  Those who labor in preachingthe gospel do so out of a heart of love.  That is how you know that love has had its perfect effectin your life.  Paul expressed his thankfulnessfor their love.
2. He is thankful that his workin Thessalonica was not in vain. Though it seemed like a short stay, it was effective and produced much fruit.  They had not only heardthe word but had submittedto the power of the word.  Paul had the evidencebefore him, that they were truly savedby their willingness to sufferfor the sake of gospel just as he hadsuffered while he was there.  It was known

When it came time to put words on paper, Paul had a lot to be thankfulfor. 

It would have been easier to complainabout the Jews who did not receive the word, but instead he gives thanks for what God had donein their lives and through his.

Let’s look at a few other instancesin this letter for more evidence of Paul’s thankfulness.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

¹³ And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

1. He is thankful that they receivedwhat they were speaking as the Word of God.

1 Thessalonians 3:9

⁹ For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God,

1. He is thankful for all the joy that he feltbecause of the effects of the gospelon their lives. He is so overwhelmedwith thanksgiving that words could not describe how thankful he was.

One thing that we see in all these verses is that Paul makes knownhis thankfulness in his letter. 

Express Your Thankfulness

If Paul was thankfulbut did not make known his thankfulness, how would have the people of Thessalonica known that he felt the way he did toward them.  How would they have knownthat Paul was appreciative of their faith, work their love if he had not toldthem so.

Your thankfulness needs to be expressed. The people closest to you need to hear how much you appreciate them.

Be Thankful in All Things

1 Thessalonians 5:18

¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

If you have ever wondered what the will of Godis for your life, it starts with being thankful.  Where you are right now, in the midst of the situationsyou are in, on that jobthat you are currently on, with that familymember, in that relationship, with your current financialsituation, with your current healthstatus.  Whatever season you find yourself in, give thanks. 

He is encouraging thankfulness for all the circumstancesboth the good and the bad.  For it is the difficultcircumstanceswhich set up the greatest opportunityfor God to reveal His power.

• How are we to be thankful in all circumstances especially when our circumstances are horrible?

One of the greatest examples of being thankful in horrible circumstancescan be seen through the life of Jesus. More specifically when he is breaking and giving thanksfor the bread which symbolizeshis body that is about to be broken for the remission of sins.

Luke 22:19-20

¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. 

Jesus knewwhat kind of deaththat He was about to experience.  He knew that the very peoplewho He came and would died for, would turn their backson Him and crucify him. He knew that Peterwould deny him three times.   He knew that all His disciples would desertHim, yet He is giving thanks to Godwhile He is breaking bread.  Every tearof the bread symbolized the tearing of His body, it was broken for us.

Jesus’s thankfulnesswas not based on His current situation. Rather He was looking pastthe cross and seeing the grace and glorythat was coming because of the cross.  Because of the cross, man would receive forgivenessof sins.  Because of the cross, Jesus would resurrect and ascendto the right hand of God, it was a future glory which Jesus was looking to.  In fact, the writer of the book of Hebrews describes it as a “joy that was set before him.”

Hebrews 12:2

² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus’s eyes were on his future joy. He got through the crossnot by focusing on the cross but on the promised joythat would resultfrom it. That is how He was able to give thanksin a difficultsituation.

When we choose to think of the future glorythat we too will experience, we could likewise give thanks in our circumstances regardless of how horribleour current circumstance may be.

For we know that our current circumstances are not permanent, they are only temporal.  We know that one day we will have a glorified bodyand that the pains of this life will ceaseforevermore.

When we set our eyes on the future glorythat awaits us, we will be able to express thankfulnesseven in the midst of adversity. Then it becomes a messageto those who are in our lives, that our hope is not in any earthly thing, rather our hope is in a future glory.

Paulhad faced some very trying circumstanceswhen he was in Thessalonica, Jesusexperienced some incredibly difficult circumstances on the cross.  Youtoo may experience some difficult circumstances in this life. 

However, you can be thankful in all thingsfor this is the will of God. 

If you are finding it difficult to be thankfulduring your trial, then you must rely on the help from the Holy Spiritthrough which the spirit of thankfulness comes.

I would encourage you to name the reasonsyou are thankful.   Make them known, you may have to tell someonewhy you are thankful for them.

Instead of complainingabout your spouse, begin to thank God that you don’t have to go through this life alone.

If you are alonethen you can be thankful for the seasonthat you are in, because you are not constrainedby a relationship and you are free to do some radicalthings for God. 

Instead of complaining about your children, thank God that you have kids, and that you have been given the opportunity to disciplethem into the man or woman that God had intended for them to be.  You get to play a vital part in God’s big planfor their life.   If you can’t have kidsthank God for the peace & quietthat you currently enjoy. 

In whatever circumstanceyou find yourself in there is something to be thankful for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfdwcOTOJHc

If you were to wake up tomorrowand only have what you have thanked God for, what would you have?

At this time, we would like for you to apply this sermon to your life.

First, I want you to name those things that you are thankful for

Second, I want you to Express your thankfulness

Thirdly, I want you to thank God for trials that He has brought you through.

Lastly, I want you to thank God for the promise that He is leading you to.