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weekly sermon
12-07-08
In All Things Give Thanks
Most of us would consider this time of year, being the holidays that we are in, a time of thanks giving. We have just finished with the official holiday of Thanksgiving and we now approach Christmas. This time of year brings everyone into a frame of mind to give thanks for all things that have happened throughout the past year. Even with this special time to give thanks there is something we must consider.
Why is it that we wait until November or December to give thanks? Let us take a look and see what the Bible has to say about giving thanks. I want us to look at a few particular passages of scripture that involves, probably the greatest of all Christians mentioned in the Bible, Paul.
For those who have never been introduced to Paul, he was once a man who killed Christians for a living, turned from this line of work, and became one of the greatest men for God who ever was or probably will ever be. Paul suffered many trials and sufferings for his ministry work for God.
Let us turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Here we see that Paul says that in every thing we are to give thanks. This is a very common misunderstood statement. If we listen to the prayers given this time of year, we always hear how ones are thankful for family, friends, good fortune, health, and such things. These are easy things for us to be able to give thanks for. What happens when we do not have such a great day, month, year, or even life? We are to give thanks for everything. If we have a terrible time, terrible things happening to us, terrible things happening to our family, bad financial problems, or such things, we are to give thanks. Paul said in all things we are to give thanks. The word all means just that, ALL.
I completely understand that this is a very difficult request, to give thanks during difficult times, but Paul was not always giving thanks during his great times. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 11:22-33, "Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. (23)Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. (24)Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. (25)Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; (26)In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; (27)In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. (28)Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. (29)Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? (30)If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. (31)The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. (32)In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: (33)And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands."
As you can see here Paul went through trials and tribulations through all of his travels and meetings with different people yet through it all, he gave thanks for everything. If Paul gave thanks for his personal circumstances he would have been as the ones I mentioned earlier, giving thanks for only the good things that happen in his life. From the scriptures we see above in Corinthians, Paul gives thanks even though he has been through such hardships.
Our thanks giving should happen during our prayer time as well. If we turn to 1 Thessalonians 1:2 we see evidence of Paul giving thanks also during his prayer time. 1 Thessalonians 1:2, "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;" Notice here also that Paul stated that we are to give thanks for you all. This not only means that we give thanks for our family and friends, but we are to give thanks for our enemies as well.
As well as before, I completely understand this is a difficult task to request, but no matter how we feel about this, it is an instruction from God, Himself, that we give thanks in all things and for all.
The Greek word used here for thanksgiving is Euxapiotia, from Eu, meaning well, and Xapis, meaning grace or thanks. We must consider this Greek word and it's true meaning. Not only the meaning of thanksgiving, but the grace part. If we consider the grace that God gives us, then no matter how good or how bad we have it at any time, we can give thanks. We give thanks because of the grace that God has bestowed upon us, not because of the things we have acquired on our own.
Outside of the Gospels and Revelation the word thanksgiving occurs only in Paul's writings. The Greek word Euxapiotia does not actually appear in the Gospels, but the Greek word Euawyoas, meaning blessed, and Euxapiottjoas, meaning having given thanks are what appear in the Gospels. As we can see from this, Paul is one that we should emulate in our thanksgivings. The Greek word used by Paul only appears in Revelation, which was long after Paul's writings. This is an indication that the author of Revelation, John, must have borrowed Paul's usage of the word.
At the first of this message, I stated that most of us would consider this time of year a time to give thanks. The reason I stated it that way is because it should never be directed to a certain time of year. Let us once again turn to Paul and see what he had to say about when we are to give thanks. Look back at the verse in 1 Thessalonians where it stated we give thanks to God always... This tells us that we are always to give thanks. It also tells us something else, that it is a duty. Let us look in 2 Thessalonians 1:3, "We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;" Here it states that we are bound by a duty to give our thanks to God. There is a very good reason we are bound to continually give thanks. We give continual thanks because our faith continues to grow and the gifts given to us continue to come, so should we continue to give thanks always.
Let us look in one other place where Paul mentions how it is our duty to always give thanks. Turn with me to 2 Thessalonians 2:13, "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:" The reason I referenced this second passage of scripture is to show that Paul so believed this that he mentioned it multiple times to really get the point across.
Remember what was stated earlier, we are here to give thanks to God for what He has done for us and not for what we have accomplished ourselves. Most folks give thanks for their love life, their financial upcomings, or the happiness in their families. Paul gave thanks to God for all that happened to him. When he was in prison, facing death, lost at sea, being stoned, thirsty, hungry, and of course during the good times, Paul gave thanks.
Can you give thanks for things that you are not really excited about? Once you can get to that point, you will have truly moved to the presence of God where He intends for you to be, with Him. Let us take this time of year as a start to a new ritual. Let us start now giving thanks for every single thing that happens to us and carry that ritual throughout this upcoming year. We are told we are to pray daily without ceasing. Let us take that opportunity during our prayers to give our thanks for any and everything.
I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you that come to visit my site. Above this I want to thank God for each and every one of you that take time out of your busy schedules to stop by and for everything that has ever happened to me, but mostly for His grace that gives the one thing we all should be looking for, eternal life. If you do not know of this eternal life that I am speaking of, I strongly urge you to search your hearts and find Jesus and accept Him as your personal saviour. To do this, all you would need to do is say a simple prayer with me.
Say this simple prayer with me, Dear Lord, I want you to be the Lord over my life, forgive me of my sins, and give me the gift of everlasting life. Amen.
If you have said this simple prayer, then we believe that you have received salvation. We would love to rejoice with you, so please drop us a note, in our link, to let us know and confess Jesus before man, so that we may send you a few things that we hope will help you in your new Christian walk.
With Love in Christ,
Pastor Stone
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