In Everything Give Thanks
TEXT: I Thessalonians 5:18
TOPIC: In Everything Give Thanks
Pastor Bobby Earls, FBC, Center Point, Alabama, November 20, 2005
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My text for this Thanksgiving Celebration is just one verse found in the book known as 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 18.
SLIDE 2
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Here at First Baptist, we have been reading through and preaching through the Bible since September 2001. We call it our Bible Survivors Challenge. As we read about the people and the history of ancient Israel, we noticed that among there more notable sins were the following:
they were a hard bunch to please,
they were seldom content,
they were given to griping and complaining.
Sounds too close to home doesn’t it?
Simply put, the Bible says they were guilty of murmuring.
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1. They murmured at the Red Sea
Exodus 14:11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? (KJV)
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2. They murmured because they had no water
Exodus 15:23-24 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? (KJV)
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3. They murmured because they had no food
Exodus 16:2-3 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: 3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
(Sounds like Baptists to me. We meet to eat and eat to we’re beat.)
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4. They murmured because of the report of the spies
Numbers 14:1-2
And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!
Finally, God was fed up with their murmuring.
Numbers 16:41-50
41 But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the LORD. 42 And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43 And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation. 44 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 45 Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment. And they fell upon their faces. 46 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague is begun. 47 And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and, behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed. 49 Now they that died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, beside them that died about the matter of Korah. 50 And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: and the plague was stayed.
Paul says in I Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Philippians 2:14 says, Do all things without murmurings and disputing.
The opposite of murmuring is thanksgiving. Did you know that God wants us to respond to everything with thanksgiving? That’s what the Bible says!
SLIDE 7
Our text from the first epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter 5 and verse 18 clearly tell us this. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Is this a realistic command? Do we ever need to give thanks for pain, hardships
sickness, distress, bills, and flat tires?
Paul did in Acts 16. Verse 23 says “They laid many stripes on them and cast them into prison, made their feet fast in stocks… v. 25, and at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God; and the prisoners heard them.”
Some today would say, yea, but that was Paul, he was a Biblical saint. How can we learn to give thanks in everything?
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I. WE GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS BECAUSE OF OUR CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S PURPOSES,
Romans 8:28 “All things work together for good for those who love the Lord…”
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1. God is Sovereign
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2. Even Satan is a pawn in God’s hand
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3. Evil men are a pawn in God’s hand
(Joseph--Genesis 45:4-8 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. 5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. 7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. 8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. (KJV)
Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. (KJV)
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II. WE GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS BECAUSE OF OUR CHANGED PERSPECTIVE
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1. We have come to place our highest value on those things which are eternal—and cannot pass away.
Listen to Paul’s changed perspective. Philippians 3:4-9
though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
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2. Christians know they can lose everything material/physical, and yet that does not affect that which is most valuable to us—our relationship with Jesus Christ.
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3. If we place too great a value on material/physical realities of life, then we are only happy when circumstances in our lives are convenient and comfortable.
When people go through a crisis I try to remind them that the things that really matter have not changed:
· God’s love for them has not changed
· God’s protection over them has not changed
· Their eternal salvation has not changed
· The love of their Christian friends and family has not changed
· Who they are in Christ Jesus has not changed
· The promises of God’s word have not changed
· The presence of the Holy Spirit has not changed
Not even death itself can threaten these great possessions God has given us.
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III. WE GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS BECAUSE OF OUR CONTENTMENT IN POSITION
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1. As believers we are positioned “in Christ.”
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2. No sanctuary is more safe or secure than being found “in Christ.”
Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ!
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3. In Christ we have sufficient supply—for all needs.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (KJV)
When we have confidence in God’s purposes. When we have a changed perspective. And when we are content with our position in Christ, then we can
SLIDE 11 – FINAL SLIDE
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV)