In Everything Give Thanks

So if you'd like a title today for our sermon, it is, In Everything Give Thanks. In everything give thanks. And as we heard in the opening message, we know where these words are found, so I invite you to open your Bibles, and let's turn to 1st Thessalonians 5 verses 16 through 18.

This is where we're gonna begin. 1st Thessalonians 5 verses 16 through 18 in just a moment. You know, Scripture says that God's people are to be distinguishable by certain characteristics. Did you know that? To those who have been redeemed by God, to those who have been called by God, to those who have been invited to be part of his unfolding plan today, God says through his words that those individuals, those men and women, will be distinguishable by certain characteristics. In other words, there will be features which mark them as his own. And here Paul, we're coming into one of his letters here. He's writing to God's people in Thessalonica, and he's writing to them that they should know what are some of those distinguishing marks. And of course, one of those distinguishing marks we find in verse 18, which is that we are to be thankful people. Let's read leading up to verse 18. Let's begin here in verse 16. So 1 Thessalonians 5 beginning in verse 16.

Paul writes of these distinguishing marks, Rejoice always. That's one distinguishing mark of God's people.

Pray without ceasing. That's another. And then here in verse 18, here it is, in everything give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Let's stop there. In everything Paul says, give thanks. Again, one of the characteristics of God's people, one of the marks of his people, is that you will find them giving thanks in everything. And it's important to notice right up front, this is not merely a suggestion or a good idea. This is rather a directive, an exhortation. And we find that this chapter 5, right around the beginning, right around the middle of chapter 5, you find these various exhortations here that Paul lists here in this chapter 5. And it's interesting to note that all these exhortations are in light of the return of Jesus Christ, that day of the Lord. In fact, allow your eyes to go up to verse 5. I'm excuse me, verse 1 here in chapter 5. Here he begins this breakdown of the chapter in verse 1.

Paul begins by saying, concerning the times and seasons, brethren, that's an intimate term, beloved, called by God, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, verse 2, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, when they will say peace and safety, and then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. Verse 4, but you, brethren, you are not in darkness, so that this day should overcome you as a thief. You are sons of the light, sons of the day. You are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do. Let us watch and be sober. There's the context, and then in light of that, our eyes go down to verse 12, and you have these various exhortations.

In fact, at the beginning of my chapter break here, it actually says those very words, various exhortations. From Paul here, verse 12, he then says, I urge you, brethren, followed by exhortations. Verse 14, if you allow your eyes to go there, it says, now we exhort you, brethren, various exhortations. And then again, beginning in verse 16, we have these three additional exhortations, rejoice always.

Verse 17, pray without ceasing. In verse 18, in everything give thanks. So in light of the Lord returning, in light of that, you're not in darkness to this fact that he's returning. In light of that, I Paul, he says, am now going to exhort you. I'm going to admonish you to these things. And this exhortation to be thankful people, this is the will of God for you and Jesus Christ for you, he says there.

And it's remarkable. If any of you have done a study on Thanksgiving, you will see that Thanksgiving, the giving of thanks, is the great chorus line that Paul sings throughout all of his letters, all throughout his writings. You will see this exhortation to Thanksgiving intentionally placed for God's people to to read and be aware of. Let's just look at a few of those. I just want to show you a very few to punctuate that fact. One place we can turn to see this great call to thanks is in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 3 and 4. So if you'd like to turn there, keep your marker in 1st Thessalonians 5 and turn over just for a moment to Ephesians 5, verses 3 and 4. We're just going to look at a couple of places where Paul is singing this chorus line of Thanksgiving here. And here is one such place. Look at how Paul intentionally places Thanksgiving here.

Ephesians 5, beginning in verse 3, he writes, but fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness, let it not even be named among you as fitting for the saints. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor coarse-gesting which are not fitting of you saints, but rather giving of thanks, he says. Let's just stop there. So this is what we are to be marked by here. The distinguishing mark of a Christian's faith is not... we are not... saints, we are not to be marked with obscenity, foolish talk, coarse-gesting.

Those are out of place. Those are not fitting, he says. Rather, we are to be marked by thanksgiving. That's the distinguishing mark of God's people. How about another example of Paul singing this great chorus line of Thanksgiving? Romans 1 verses 20 and 21. Let's turn over there for a moment.

Romans 1 verses 20 and 21 here. This is going to be amazing here, where you're going to find thanksgiving intentionally in place by Paul for the called believer. And we're going to notice there's no place in which thanksgiving should be absent or alive. Look at Romans 1 and let's begin in verse 20. Paul writes here, he says, For since the creation of the world, his that's God's invisible attributes, are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they're without excuse. Because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and in their foolish hearts were darkened.

Let's stop there. Wow! Would if you were writing this, would you have placed thanksgiving, nor were they thankful, in such a list as this, nor were they thankful, and because of that they became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Amazing! How about one more example? 2 Timothy 3 verses 1 through 4.

Let's look there. 2 Timothy 3 verses 1 through 4. Here Paul is writing to young Timothy about the perilous times and the perilous things that are going to be present at the end time. How would you think thanksgiving would be part of perilous times and perilous things?

Well, let's see. 2 Timothy 3 verses 1 through 4. Paul writes to Timothy, But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, and unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power.

Let's stop there. Wow! That's an amazing list. It's an amazing list for then unthankful to be intentionally placed amongst all these other things that are so grievous in nature. We understand the ugliness of some of these qualities here. You know, it'll be a society that is just absolutely broken down when Christ returns. They're gonna be blasphemous, disobedience, unloving, unforgiving, all these ugly things to expect at the end time. And then you have this other perilous thing of being unthankful.

Do you do we hold unthankfulness in such high regard as something to absolutely avoid at all costs? Do you hold being unthankful as ugly as being a blasphemer of God and these other abominable things, just as ugly as being unholy, just as ugly as being unforgiving? Unthankfulness is placed right in this category here. So you see, Paul is seeing in this chorus line, he's sounding the drumbeat for God's people to get here. Why? Why does Paul, why does scripture place being thankful in such importance? Being thankful for Thanksgiving?

Well, you know, among other benefits, we read here that Thanksgiving helps keep us from having futile thoughts. That's verse 5. Thanksgiving, being thankful, helps us from not being darkened. There at the end of verse 5. Thanksgiving, being thankful, helps us from merely having a form of godliness, but ultimately denying its power, denying God's power.

Okay, so we're beginning to see, whoa, I wonder, I know I had this response in preparation for this. I don't know if I ever exalted being thankful to such a high degree, but all the all the benefits which come from being thankful are evident as you begin to ponder this. The Greek word Paul most often uses when he's giving this exhortation to Thanksgiving is the Greek word perisuo. I'll spell it for you to those that are interested. Perisuo, P-E-R-I-S-S-E-U-O.

Perisuo. This is the word he most often uses with his exhortation to Thanksgiving.

What do you think it means? Well, it means to overflow or to spill over. So Paul is expressing not just any kind of Thanksgiving or gratitude. This is a call to a profound level of gratitude that goes well beyond perhaps what we could ever imagine here. It is a call. Paul is calling us to gush with Thanksgiving. To spill over with Thanksgiving. Overflow with Thanksgiving.

This is the directive here. To help us understand this a little bit. Maybe think about it in this way. You know, I know many of us, if not most all of us, love gravy with our Thanksgiving dinner. I won't have you raise your hands, but I think that's a pretty, I can be pretty confident that. Most of us like at least to have some gravy on our plate, but we've all encountered those individuals that as they go through the buffet line, you think everything's normal. There they put their turkey in their dressing on their plates, their corn. They've rightly passed by the sweet potatoes. There's cranberry sauce and all the other fixings, but then they proceed to make everything float in their plate as ladle upon ladle of gravy is poured over all these things. You know who you are out there. I won't raise you. I won't make you raise your hand. We know who you are. You're the gravy enthusiast, right? And we're praying for you, too. If you don't like a lot of gravy, oh wow, you don't want to be find yourself behind that individual in the line, but it's kind of an imperfect connection here.

This is the context by which Paul is putting forth this exhortation. Perisuo gushing over, overflowing like Thanksgiving gravy with too many ladles for it on. Not just a small amount here, no, this is ladle upon ladle. The integrity of the plate is beginning to give, you know. That's the word he uses here. So Paul is writing to God's people in Thessalonica. He's writing to God's people in Ephesus. He's writing to God's people in Rome. And he is expressing no matter what else is in this distinguishing mark of them, they must be people who overflow with Thanksgiving. This is the distinguishing mark. If you bump into them, you're gonna get Thanksgiving all over your shirt, you see. This is the kind of people we are to be. But, as we consider these things, we know, unfortunately, this is gonna be very difficult. Perhaps more difficult than we even think. Why would Paul constantly exhort God's people to this call of Thanksgiving? Well, I think he knew, and of course all of Scripture would indicate this can be very challenging sometimes to be thankful. Why? What is it about Thanksgiving that makes it so difficult to express? What would prohibit Thanksgiving from overflowing in my life?

Well, simply put, it's not a mystery. It's our circumstances, right? More than anything else. It's our circumstances which make it difficult. So, someone might immediately say, I understand what you're saying, Paul. Yes, I get that, but you don't know my circumstances. And if you did, you wouldn't be putting forth such a high call, such a clear-cut directive. Paul, I know you're putting forth this directive, but my circumstances are different, and they keep me justifiably from fulfilling this directive. But if that thought has occasionally come to you, I want you to notice that Paul was fully aware of the difficulty, and he actually addressed it. If you kept your marker in 1 Thessalonians 5, let's go back there in verse 18 again. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 18, we see that Paul does address our circumstances, and he leads with that just to preempt the pushback, perhaps, where he says, 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 18, in everything. So, let me just get out ahead of it, Paul says, and get out ahead of the pushback.

And he says, in everything give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. So, there's no wiggling out of this. There are no circumstances, no dire circumstances, which allow you to remove yourself from under this directive. So, this is what the son or daughter of God must grapple with, especially when those circumstances legislate against fulfilling this command. Now, you'll notice context is very important, and you'll notice that what is in the very next verse after this directive to Thanksgiving, verse 19, Paul almost immediately now brings into the conversation the supernatural aspect that goes along with this call. And the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit, where he says right after the call to Thanksgiving is given, in everything, where he says, and make sure you don't quench the spirit. Did you know that that verse often is removed from its context, and a whole sermon would be given on it.

But it's right there, right following the directive to Thanksgiving. Do not quench the spirit. So, what is this saying to us? Well, I think Paul is acknowledging, perhaps without even taking a breath, that there is absolutely a supernatural aspect to this. And what Paul is acknowledging is, yes, this call is a supernatural call. It is not a call to the natural, to the natural. Therefore, this supernatural call, to be thankful in all circumstances, in everything, it's going to take a supernatural power. So, you cannot quench, you cannot remove God's participation and his giving of his spirit, if you're going to fulfill this directive to Thanksgiving in everything. That's so important.

Help us understand this, that you cannot fulfill this directive, that to gush over with Thanksgiving in everything, you cannot fulfill it without God. Let me give you a little help in understanding this, because there is a distinction to make here about what we're being called to. We do not have to... this is not a call to what we might deem as natural gratitude. Okay, perhaps we could distinguish it that way. Paul is not calling us to what we might say is natural gratitude. Natural gratitude, which most men and women can achieve.

Natural gratitude says, here I am this morning, there's a cup of coffee and the the sun is bright and it's a beautiful day, therefore I am thankful for this.

Right? We understand that. That's natural gratitude. Most everybody, just by dent of appreciating good things, can express and have true thankfulness because of their life, their family, employment, a warm bed, a cold drink on a sunny day. Most would agree most have the potential to experience natural gratitude of the heart. Natural gratitude starts with the benefits of receiving good things. Right?

The natural good stuff of life. Those good things that come to us. But what Paul is speaking of here is a different kind of gratitude. He is not merely speaking about natural gratitude, but he speaks of what we might call a supernatural gratitude or a supernatural thanksgiving filled with the Holy Spirit.

This is what ignited, energized by the Holy Spirit. This is what he's speaking about. Again, natural gratitude starts with the good stuff that naturally comes in our life. Pleasant things. Supernatural gratitude, though, places all things in light of God. That's supernatural gratitude. It is a grace-filled gratitude which starts with our thoughts on God. Supernatural gratitude, which is what Paul's calling us to here, recognizes that God is good, that God is love, that God is all-powerful, and it recognizes the excellency of God himself regardless of physical enjoyments or difficulties in our life.

You're regardless. Regardless. Okay? So supernatural gratitude or supernatural thanksgiving starts with our eyes upon God, and it recognizes what God has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ. So supernatural gratitude recognizes I have a reason to be grateful to God, whether it's a good day or a bad day, whether it's raining or whether it's sunny, whether I'm employed, whether I'm unemployed, whether I have my health or I don't. I have reason to be thankful today because of God and his Son, Jesus Christ. And that is where this distinguishing mark emerges from, and it separates God's people from other people, right? The believer, it's not that the believer does not have natural gratitude, of course we do, but the Son of God has this special, unique kind of thanksgiving for who God is and what he has done through his Son, and that's what we are to overflow with and gush with. Ladle upon ladle, if you will. And this is really the the the distinguish here between those sons and daughters of God and others. To those who are without God, you will find them constantly going in and out of thanksgiving and being unthankful. You know, they consider themselves in their life just kind of swinging on the pendulum, resenting those things which are unpleasant, resenting those things which are objectable. Those people don't have any kind of higher sense, higher perspective. So it seems I'm in trouble right now, therefore I'm unthankful. It seems like the trouble's gone, now I can be thankful. That's not who God's people are to be. Good things I'm thankful, bad things I'm unthankful. Again, the distinction between a true believer recognizes that we are not at the mercy of some arbitrary force bobbing around on the the sea of chance. The true Christian recognizes I can be grateful in all things because my life is under the parental guidance and control of a loving Heavenly Father. And if all things are under His loving care, I can be thankful for all things. Of course, that's Romans 8 verse 28. We won't turn there. But this is what Paul again is expressing. All things work together for good. He would say, my beloved brethren, Romans 8 28, all things brethren, work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. That's the difference right there. And I just want to commend this particular group standing before me here, sitting before me here today. It is so remarkable the display of supernatural thanksgiving that we witness each and every day. That I witness each and every day from you. We are a phenomenal group in this area. And I'm just putting a name to it now for you, but many of you are expressing this day by day. Supernatural, grace-filled gratitude, no matter the circumstances in everything. Satan, I'll have you know that my light affliction, that's right. It may seem heavy, but I'm placing it with my eyes upon God, so it's my light affliction. Affliction is just for a moment, perhaps just for this physical lifetime, but it is working a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Devil, I do not look upon the things which are seen. I look upon that which is unseen. Those things which are seen are temporary. This is just temporary, and I'm not going to be convinced otherwise.

And in fact, the things which are not seen, those things are eternal. That's Paul as well, you see, for your notes. That's 2nd Corinthians 4.16. We won't take the time to turn there, but 2nd Corinthians 4.16. I'm telling you, it is the chorus line which Paul sings throughout all of his letters. Whether he actually mentions Thanksgiving or not, this is the principle he's putting forth in all of his writings. Paul wrote that. Supernatural, grace-filled gratitude teaches us that it's just a moment, just in this physical life. But what is being worked out as a far more exceeding weight of glory with the eternal purposes of God. So let's really acknowledge this today. If you are in a dark, rainy cloud, understand that God is holy and good. Who has allowed, maybe even brought in those clouds from time to time. But it's important to understand God always does what's right. His timing is never wrong, and he loves you more than you could ever imagine. And he's even caring for the sparrows. How much more do you think he loves you and would look after you? God is working out his purposes. So the spirit of Thanksgiving is not that our family life is always intact. The spirit of Thanksgiving is not that everyone should live to be a hundred years old. The spirit of Thanksgiving is not shielding us from every heartache or trauma. If it were, we would have nothing to talk about today. Rather, the spirit of Thanksgiving comes from knowing God's ultimate goodness is being worked out in our lives, and he's conforming us to his Son, which, oh by the way, is coming again.

He's coming again, and who will make all these things that ravish us fall away.

That truly is the spirit of Thanksgiving. Well, as we conclude, I hope, brethren, we can go forward and pray. You can use these words or term it to describe it in a different way if you like. Pray for supernatural, grace-filled gratitude. Pray that you can be overflowing with Thanksgiving. Perhaps ladle. Ask God to ladle this aspect of Thanksgiving into your life in the coming days. Ask him that you would overflow so that when someone bumps into you, that you will just spill over Thanksgiving into their lives. In the coming days, let's make Thanksgiving be our mark, and in everything be marked by giving thanks.