Count Your Blessings
1 Thessalonians • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
Gratefulness is a choice. Have you noticed that? It probably began for you, like it did for me, when my parents told me I needed to say “thank you” when I was given things. I didn’t understand why that was so important, but I understood that I just needed to do it. I didn’t feel grateful, but I chose to say the words, “Thank you.”
As I grew older, and saying “thank you” became habitual, I started to understand what thankfulness meant. Now it wasn’t just words, but the words began reflecting what was actually in my heart. I began to think about the ones I was thanking, and I began to understand how gratefulness was a blessing to them, too. I began to see that gratefulness is about more than just ME.
If you’re an adult, I hope you have learned that gratefulness is more than just good manners. I hope you’ve learned that it is about more than being a blessing to others when you voice your gratitude. So often in life, your gratitude isn’t primarily for others’ benefit: it is for YOUR benefit. It is good for YOU when you are grateful. In our text in 1 Thessalonians tonight, we’re going to consider the topic, “Count Your Blessings.”
PRAYER
1 Thess. 5:1-11
I’m sure we all remember by now the kind of conditions that the young Christians in Thessalonica were experiencing. They had heard the Apostle Paul’s preaching for probably just a few weeks, and then the orthodox Jews in Thessalonica caused an uproar, and arrested some of the brethren, claiming that Caesar’s decrees were being broken. The Thessalonian believers immediately sent away Paul and Silas, and it appears that Paul hadn’t seen these folks since.
As we saw in chapter 2, these new saints had endured intense persecution.
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
We know these believers had been faithful, and had even thrived in these conditions. (Would you and I thrive, or would we be happy just to be alive? It’s easy to go into survival mode when things get tough; it’s quite another thing to THRIVE in the midst of terrible resistance.) But it’s easy for us to think of things in the past in “summary form.” That is, we think of entire periods of time more as a snapshot of events. It’s easy for us to think about this church in Thessalonica this way.
Not only that, but it’s easy to do this about even our own past. We forget many of the hardships, except perhaps a few of those most significant ones. The ones we do remember have faded in their intensity. But when you’re in the middle of a trial, you experience daily pain and daily pressure that is hard to anticipate, and easy to forget. But that doesn’t mean it’s not painful. It doesn’t mean it isn’t difficult. It is in those moments that we NEED to count our blessings.
I think about these Thessalonians, living each day, trying to please God. They were busy doing the things that Paul taught them to do. But each day they lived in the shadow of the persecution that a Christ-rejecting world attempted to bring to bear on them. Would today be the day they were imprisoned, or even martyred? Would their house be destroyed by a mob, or family members assaulted? How could they live like Christ and preach the gospel without stirring up evil retaliation? Imagine living like this every single day...
And so this church of young believers eagerly gathered to hear Paul’s epistle read. They listened with pleasure as he voiced his love for them, and his praise of their faithfulness to Christ, and their Godly living. They were convicted by his challenges to deny the flesh and walk with Christ.
But perhaps, as they dismissed their assembly and headed back to their homes, their excitement and joy was dampened by the realization that Paul’s letter hadn’t scattered their persecutors or driven away the devil. This daily threat to even their very lives was still present. How would they not just stay faithful, but stay joyful? The answer was, to count their blessings. And in our text tonight, Paul’s words help them—and us—to do just that.
I. Paul Reminds Them of the Obvious
I. Paul Reminds Them of the Obvious
I find it interesting that in last week’s text, Paul answered the question, “What happens to the saints that die before Christ comes back? Will they get to go to Heaven, too?” As we saw, the answer is yes! When Christ descends “from Heaven with a shout.” “the dead in Christ shall rise first.” No one will be left behind. Those that are dead in Christ will not be forgotten. We don’t have to be concerned about our saved loved ones who have passed from this life. Paul addressed their ignorance on this topic.
In tonight’s text, Paul shifts his focus to a different question: “What will happen to the saints who don’t die before the Lord comes in the clouds?”
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
“...Ye have no need…” “...Yourselves know perfectly...” When teaching something new to someone, it is effective to begin with something they already know, and then extend out into unknown territory. Christ did that with parables. Paul is doing that here.
Paul says, “Yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” What is this day of the Lord? Is he talking about the Rapture? No, he means something very different.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand;
It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord!
To what end is it for you?
The day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.
These are not glad tidings! The day of the Lord is not a pleasant time! The prophet Joel has much to say about the day of the Lord. (The phrase appears 5 times in 3 chapters.)
Joel 2:1-11
Can you understand why the Thessalonian believers might have been concerned about surviving long enough to be around for the day of the Lord?
The day of the Lord will come:
Unexpectedly — “as a thief in the night”
A thief’s main hope of success is in the element of surprise.
Suddenly — “travail upon a woman with child”
Mothers know that predicting the labor of childbirth is next to impossible. It can come early or late. And it comes without warning. You know it’s time for the baby’s arrival, and still the labor comes without warning.
These Thessalonian knew the “times and seasons.” They knew the order of prophetic events, and they could look around and see that it was a season of apostasy and unbelief and wickedness. They knew that the terrible judgment of the day of the Lord could come anytime. This was obvious. But what did it have to do with their burdensome life of hardship and persecution?
II. Paul Reminds Them of the Overlooked
II. Paul Reminds Them of the Overlooked
We may not always be enjoy it when others try to help us with this, but have you noticed how it helps you to be thankful when you consider those who don’t have as many blessings as you do?
I saw a simple video that illustrated this.
ILLUSTRATION: Two cars stopped at a light.
Driver of car: “I wish I had a car like that.”
Bike rider: “I wish I could afford a car.”
Pedestrian: “I wish I had a bike.”
Person in wheelchair: “I wish I could walk.”
Thankfulness is subjective, isn’t it? We don’t know that these believers were unthankful. I’m not saying they were complaining and discouraged. But that would have been very natural for them to do. Undoubtedly they struggled with these tendencies from time to time. And as Paul gave them specific instructions regarding how to live a victorious Christian life—which we’ll study next week, Lord willing—he also reminded them of people who were in a much more dangerous and precarious position than they were. Those people are the lost. They live in darkness.
A. The lost are in darkness
A. The lost are in darkness
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
Darkness is the place of sin.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Darkness is the place of death
Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Darkness is the absence of Christ
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Have you thanked God for your salvation recently? Have you thanked God that you have met the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ? Have you thanked Him for the light and the life that He has brought into your life? Have you counted these blessings? They are not any less because they are always with us. We are just less likely to properly appreciate them.
B. The saved are not appointed to wrath
B. The saved are not appointed to wrath
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.
This world is filled with sinners sitting in darkness, surrounded by evil and death. They don’t know the light and life that Christ brings. These people in darkness are in terrible danger. The day of the Lord is coming! It will come as a thief in the night…and they are in that dark night. At the precise moment that they say, “Peace and safety,” the judgment of God will fall on them. They won’t just be surprised; their victory and satisfaction will be completely overturned. Can you picture their terror and shock? Can you hear their panicked shouts and their cries of pain?
When you think of this, does it make you sing with renewed joy, “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it! Redeemed, by the blood of the Lamb.” Can you be thankful for the great blessings God has given you? This is what happens when we are reminded of what we have overlooked.
III. Paul Reminds Them of the Objective
III. Paul Reminds Them of the Objective
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
Paul says, “comfort,” “exhort,” and “edify” seven times in these five chapters. (In just a few verses, he tells them to rejoice and give thanks!) He told them these things because it was needed. These people lived on “the front lines” of spiritual warfare. Their physical health and even their lives were in danger daily. There was a distinct danger for discouragement, intimidation, and desertion of the cause of Christ. The opposition was stiff; the persecution was relentless and intense. These young saints needed to comfort one another, edify each other, and exhort one another to continue following Christ. One thing that would greatly help them do this was gratitude. They needed to count their blessings.
What about you, Christian? Has life got you down? Has it been a tough season of life? Do you feel like it won’t quit? Are you starting to wonder if this is just how it will be? Is that discouraging to you? Then let me remind you of some things.
Let me remind you that these are the last days, and that Christ is coming back. The Lord HIMSELF is going to descend from Heaven with a shout. He’s coming back for you! This is obvious to us, but we need to be reminded of the obvious.
Let me remind you that all around you, people are in darkness. They don’t have eternal life. They are not “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” They are living in the darkness of sin and death. And unless they are brought from darkness to light, they will be suddenly be overtaken by God’s judgment: the day of the Lord. There will be no peace and safety for them then…just sudden destruction. Have you overlooked these poor, condemned souls?
Let me remind you of our objective. We must not be defeated or discouraged. We must comfort and edify one another! We must count our blessings! Don’t look at the ominous clouds gathering overhead; look to the Lord! We have too many blessings to count; by meditating on them and thanking God for them, we will be encouraged to forsake self-pity, emboldened to seek sinners, and motivated to strengthen the saints.
Count your many blessings. Name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.