The Reach of Our Thanksgiving - Part 1

11 began to intensify The town that it often seems tied to circumstances but not for believers in today.

How to apply a command, one that pushes the reach of your Thanksgiving notice that oftentimes God in the Scriptures hotel or something to do, but it doesn't tell us on the for example, when he says with a refill of the Holy Spirit. No instruction or love your enemies, no instruction or to walk in the spirit leveraging this growth of the Bible. Think about all the things he commands us to do but just gives it instruction that are used to bother me think about will order that's what you are is the one you to say one, two, 3.123 like a message and tell me how to do it tough on the Haworth because God wants us to know him, not just settle problems, not just answer particular needs that we have. He wants us to know him who is, how does he operate what are his ways. How does he think so. The passage of Scripture.

I want us to read is just one verse primarily and he makes a statement and he doesn't tell us how it's a very, very important command of God. So when you turn to first Thessalonians chapter 5 and the Paul is ending up this wonderful epistle talking about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and how to live the life and when that day comes, and so forth. And he comes down this last chapter and the last of you versus a very short so he says beginning in verse 12 we requested your brother that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and give you instruction and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work, live in peace with one another. We are cheaper than admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the week. Be patient with everyone see that no one repays another with evil for evil but always seek after that which is good to one another and for all people rejoice always, pray without ceasing. That's a lot of commands no instruction. Watch this one and everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus never all the things he told us to do in this passage, I would think that's the most difficult missing what he says in everything that some things most things good things easy things in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Listen to this. This is the will of God. He says this is God's purpose in his plan, his will for every single one of his children. That is that you and I are to give thanks to God in every circumstance and no exception. What does everything include everything so that means all of my pain hurt suffering, sorrow difficult in losses pleasures and everything I'm to give thanks that he doesn't give his and instructions how to do that.

So what is the key to that if I'm to give thanks. As he says in every single thing it's easy. For example they give thanks in your house when there's a new baby born or when you have a new home or new car and you going to vacation. Lots things. Be thankful for. But what about the suffering, the heart aches the trials and difficulties and things we don't understand yet for both those in the same bucket because he says really give thanks in everything there that being the case, that means I'm going have to face up to some things that I don't like some things are done on the stand the things that don't seem like anything that God would do it seem so totally unlike God, to allow certain things in our life. But he says with her understand that not I'm to give thanks another question is how does God expect me to give thanks for pain. How am I to give thanks for disappointment and hurt separation and loss. How am I to give thanks for failure because you see you read that passage you say what that means for all the good things that God sends in your life.

No he says really give thanks in everything. Now while what he said I want you to see that God has many reasons. That is, this is not just one reason but he has a whole barrage of reasons why he says really give thanks.

Even in these difficult times in the first one is this it motivates us to look for God's purpose in everything.

If I am to give thanks for everything. Then I'm going to be motivated to look. What is God's purpose in this thing in my life that I don't particularly secondly it helps us bring our will and the submission to his will, especially when there's a time of suffering in Hardy got. I want what you want no matter what, then, it reminds us of our constant dependence upon their was if I am to give thanks in every situation, especially those things that I don't feel adequate to face up to life. It reminds me that I am in the process of doing so only because I'm trusting him in dependence upon him, then it helps us to trust in what we don't understand why God I don't understand why but I'm going to trust you anyway and so it helps me in my motivation of trusting if I know that I'm obeying his command by giving thanks. I don't understand. It's essential to my rejoicing in the midst of suffering, there was if I don't believe he's in everything. I'm not gonna rejoice.

I'm not going.

I have been a real peace in the midst of things that are so painful and so hurtful and of course it gives our witness a greater impact when you see other people going through very difficult situations and they're able to thank God and they said you know and I don't like this is one of those painful things in my life but I know that God said in some fashion and I'm trusting him and I'm thinking him even though I don't understand that would impact anybody's life, especially the many people that I've met have gone through things. I think, oh God, how could they ever survive in this kind of situation that of course it displaces my anxiety and frustration, and the result is I'm going to have peace if I can thank him for it. I'm going to have peace within it. No matter what the situation may be, gives eyewitness greater impact helps us displaces anxiety within us helps keep our focus on him, rather than on the circumstances. That is if I am thinking him. My mind is on him.

My focus is on him, not on the circumstance.

And then of course likewise, it energizes us in the midst of a very exhausting situation. That is, if what we're going through is an emotional draining circumstance and I am able and I'm willing to thank him for it in spite of it. There is something very energizing about that.

I know that to be true. It was the most difficult times in my life when everything in me would say, sit down, stop runaway give up whatever the most awesome divine energy of God's strength.

They keep moving to keep trusting. No matter what.

So when Paul said in everything give thanks. He had some very specific reasons for it, and if anybody could ever bear witness and testimony he could think of how many times he was in jail, imprisoned, chained to a Roman soldier having the times that his friends abandoned him. I made all the circumstances and situations and what is he saying Philippian jail, he says, rejoice and again I say rejoice always.

What did he know how could he said. For example, I learned to be content in all things only when he had learned to be able to thank God for that. He was sent in prison with his preaching the gospel whether he was struggling for his own physical existence in the midst of a shipwreck. How can he be given thanks to God for all of thing now by now you probably thought of a few things that you haven't asked God to help you to be thankful. You just said God why are you allowed this. I don't understand this if you love me you and let this happen.

Why did you happen to my family. Once you let happen to my children Lord. Where are you and he say where I've always been right living inside of you and so that brings me to the third issue that is what's the key it's one thing to tell me to give thanks with everything in me does not want to give thanks. I want to get resentful or bitter or hostile, angry, what's the key. What is it I need to know in order to be able to give thanks when everything in myself does not want to give thing and remember what we said we said, for example, that he may give is a command, but it doesn't give us a know how, but it's in the Scripture, and he wants us to search the Scripture.

And if we search the Scripture and prayed asking for guidance and direction, he will give it to us. We hear this, here's the key and listen without this key you absolutely will not. You cannot emotionally or mentally truly, genuinely give God thanks without this key and Garrett is on third song in the 19th verse, the Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty rules over all. Now if you don't believe that you not going to be able to thank God for everything because once this what this verse says God is in control of your circumstance, no matter what it is he's in control of whatever's come against you. God's in control.

Whatever is causing you pain God's control.

Whatever is causing you joy and happiness and peace. God's in control. Whatever has caused your friends to turn against you. God is in control. Whatever physical suffering that you're going through. God is in control. That is, there's not anything in the life of a believing which God is not in control of the truth is he's in control of everything. So when he says in everything give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Watch that last phrase in Christ Jesus which means this is true in the life of a believer. If you've never trusted Christ as your Savior you living your life that God is, I think I can handle it. Somehow, in some way.

This is not true for you because you see you are not going to give God thanks for the simple reason you're not a believer. He says in Christ Jesus. So what Paul is saying, primarily here relates to a follower of Jesus.

A person's been say somebody who is a believer in Christ Jesus and his resurrection power and his death on the cross so he says in everything give thanks. Now, so that brings us to the present Scripture which most all of us would say we believe and sometimes we misquoted so when you turn back to Romans chapter 8 for a moment and Paul says something here that we hear misquoted often times and so then they wonder why God doesn't operate with expecting to so he says in the 28th verse of Romans eight and we know not think. I hope we know that God causes. He's behind all things. That's not what it says watch this.

You hear people say what about since God causes all things know it doesn't, he says, God causes all things to work together. That is, he brings things together that we don't even think having a relationship at all. He causes all things to work together for good will.

How can this be for good. Keep listening to those who love God. Those who are called according to his purpose. So we talk about people who have trusted Jesus as their personal savior, we can say we thank you God. We can give thanks for every single situation in everything give thanks with talking about those who have become followers of Jesus because in your life in my life he's working all these things for good according to what because of our love for him and because recall the corners, purpose, and the truth is, if you're a child of God, you're only a child of God because he called you in the salvation for his purpose.

Somebody says largest get saved when I arrive please know you won't. You can eat.

You only get saved when the spirit of God brings to your attention that you need him that you living in sin that you separated from him, and that by his grace at the cross in his shed blood. He's paid your sin debt in full and brings to your understanding what it means to put your faith in him, trust him for your forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life.

That's when you'll be say. So if you are boasting about you get right with God when you want to know you want, you'll get right with God in response to the work of the Holy Spirit, and so he says in this passage all things God causes to work together for good to those who love him and to those who are called according to his purpose. Because when he saves us he calls us to fulfill a purpose that he is predestined in your life in my life. So here's the key. The key is simply this, I must believe that he is an absolute control of every single aspect of my life no matter what it might be now. They'll be some things for example that I don't understand some things that I don't like that's not even the issue and what we say that God is in everything that doesn't mean that he instigates. For example, a lot of things in your life in my life that we don't particularly is not the instigator of sin. He doesn't initiate sin, but he's working with all these things I want to see how let's say for example a person chooses the sin against God. God does not cause that person to sin against will he working that person's life because of that sin. Yes, he will no matter what the issue is in every circumstance. God is going to be at work and he says he works all things together for good.

That is, the question becomes what does that mean he's gonna work sin in my life for good.

Yes, but I want to explain that because you don't just pull that out and say will means it does make it if what I do these go may configure sometimes he sends distress, difficulty, hardship, pain into our life that many doesn't love us no. Is he still going turn. That's a good yes am I to thank him for difficulty, hardship, pain, stress loss, yes, yes I am and I can if I turn the right key, which is the only kit works that I believe he's in control and he has a purpose for allowing these things in our life no matter what they may be or what the source of the may be he is in control now he's in control now watch the season control no matter what the agent of the source of that might be you. So what about my energy.

Is he still in control of that the seal our enemies to bring distress in our life. Yes, he will this heal physical pain in her life.

Yes, he will whatever he allows in our life he allows, with full knowledge of where it's coming from what the motivation was or is and of how he's going to work it out for our good. If will simply trust so nothing happens in your life in my life apart from him. Once you become a child of God. Mark this down. He encircles us with a shield of protection and the only thing that didn't get into your life in my life as a child of God is when he chooses to open the door that we love him to open the door for pleasure.

Good times. Well, lots of friends, enjoy good health and then sometimes he opens the door for painfully thin and that could be of God is his oh yes it is because you see he has purposes that you not understand he still in control.

It's easy to understand that he's in control when everything's going our way. We love the quote Romans 828 we think will praise God hallelujah he's doing what he said that he chooses to open the door of pain in her suffering and loss and disappointment misunderstanding. Is he still in control.

Yes. Is he still working something good.

Yes, he doesn't work things for good when I understand that he works things for good. Listen when I simply yield to and obey him and trust him and I'm willing to thank him for it. So no matter what you and I face. He is in control and he has not come to the place where he says well that's too late. No, God is in control of what's going on in your life today, right now, thank you for listening to their needs and our Thanksgiving.

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