Sis Melinda Song
INTRODUCTION
Walter Knight told of an old Scottish woman who went from home to home across the countryside selling thread, buttons, and shoestrings. When she came to an unmarked crossroad, she would toss a stick into the air and go in the direction the stick pointed when it landed.
One day, however, she was seen tossing the stick up several times. "Why do you toss the stick more than once?" someone asked. "Because," replied the woman, "it keeps pointing to the left, and I want to take the road on the right." She then dutifully kept throwing the stick into the air until it pointed the way she wanted to go!
The will of God is a topic close to every believer’s heart. People often wonder what God's will is but very often we often try to disguise our will as God’s will. But God's will is revealed in Bible through His commands, prohibitions and principles to live by.
Today let us see what is “God’s Will For You In Christ Jesus.”
Here are some instances in the New Testament that clearly spell out the will of God for us.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 2:15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
Today we will be looking at God’s will for us as found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.This verse is very special to me because it is one of the earliest memory verses that I learnt. It was easy to learn because we sang it as one of the scripture in songs.
These three brief commands in scripture are easy to understand, but they are incredibly difficult to put into practice in our lives. No wonder Mark Twain said, "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand."
Today we shall attempt to work out how we are to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks ..."
In verse, 16, we are commanded to “be joyful always” which is…
Constant Joy
We can surely rejoice when there’s something good to rejoice about but to be always rejoice makes no sense. Why would you rejoice when something terrible has happened? And yet…
Joy is a command, not an option.
Phil. 3:1 Finally my brothers, rejoice in the Lord
Phil. 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say again: Rejoice!
Paul knew what it was like to suffer. It was in the midst of suffering, grief and heartache that he wrote “rejoice always.” That is not the natural reaction to the suffering and adversity.
a. For Paul, rejoicing is not some form of sugar-coated happiness. It is not passive acceptance, a sentimental emotion or some form of denial or avoidance. It definitely does not mean wearing a silly grin on our face.
b. Also, Paul’s words “rejoice always” do not mean never cry. There is a legitimate place for grief in the life of the Christian. The shortest verse in the Bible is “Jesus wept.” Jesus wept and so should we. We will never be able to rejoice in God unless we are able to weep with God.
Psalm 30:5b …weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
For Paul, “rejoicing” is being able to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, even though your eyes are filed with tears, because you know that God is with you. One of the most uplifting verses in the Bible is found in…
Hab. 3:17-18 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I WILL rejoice IN THE LORD, I WILL be joyful IN GOD MY SAVIOUR.
I choose joy... I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God. (Max Lucado)
But why does God give this seemingly ridiculous command?
Joy is essential for our well-being.
Neh. 8:10b …for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Prov. 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Is it possible to obey this command? Yes, it is possible because…
Joy is found in Jesus, our Saviour and Joy Giver.
Ps. 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation…
When was the last time you laughed for the sheer joy of your salvation? To be filled with God is to be filled with joy.
Ps. 16: 11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY IN YOUR PRESENCE, with ETERNAL pleasures at your right hand.
Joy is not the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God. (Robert Schuller)
Jn. 17:13b …that they may have the FULL MEASURE OF MY JOY in them.
Happiness depends on happenings; joy depends on Christ. It is God’s will for you IN Christ Jesus.
There is also a second reason why joy is possible. It is because…
Joy is the fruit of the Spirit.
Matt. 7:20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Gal. 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Joy is the hallmark of a Christian because it is the fruit of our abiding in Christ. It is a deep settled confidence that God is in control of every area of your life.
I believe God, through His Spirit, grants us love, joy, and peace no matter what is happening in our lives. As Christians, we shouldn't expect our joy to always feel like happiness, but instead recognize joy as inner security – a safeness in our life with Christ. (Jill Briscoe)
Illustration: Consider the story of one young man. He was often sick as a baby. He was always small, puny some would say. As a youth he was always frail and delicate. He was not able to play sports with the other boys his age. Eventually he entered the ministry. But his health was so fragile, he was unable to serve his growing congregation.
Amazingly, he did not dwell on his troubles. In fact, his spirit soared. His only real complaint was the poor quality of the hymns of his day. He felt they did not convey hope and joy. Someone challenged him to write better ones. He did. He wrote over 600 hymns, most of them hymns of praise.
When his health collapsed completely in 1748, he left one of the most remarkable collection of hymns the world has ever known. His name was Isaac Watts. In a few weeks we will be singing one of his most famous hymns, "Joy to the World!" Isaac Watts discovered joy in his life because he knew that God would never desert him. He was able to live his life with all sorts of health problems feeling close to God and Jesus. He had joy deep in his heart.
The Christian can rejoice always because their joy isn’t based in circumstances, but in God. Circumstances change, but God doesn’t.
And the key to Constant Joy is…
Ceaseless Prayer.
John 16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
Pray Continually
Paul’s exhortation here is confusing. Is he asking us to always be reciting prayers and spending our time in prayer at the expense of our families, employment, and other responsibilities? Don’t we have to sleep?
There are 3 possible meanings of “praying continually.”
1. Prayer is an attitude born out of a relationship. The very spirit and essence of prayer is a deep, abiding communion and dependence on God, and awareness of being in His presence throughout each day that should permeate all we do.
Henri Nouwen, renowned author and priest, wrote this about prayer; “To pray, I think, does not primarily mean to think about God in contrast to thinking about other things, or to spend time with God instead of spending time with other people.” Nouwen writes that our prayer should not be a compartmentalization of our life. Constant prayer means to think and live in the presence of God. To think and live in the presence of God. This is not only something that the Christian should desire, but is something we need to make it through each day. If we divide our lives into our time and God’s time, then we remove God from our daily life and put God in a pious niche where we can think pious thoughts and feel pious feelings. (Nouwen, Henri J.M. “Unceasing Prayer”)
Ceaseless prayer is possible because its foundation is the relationship we have with a loving, caring, powerful and good God.
Jesus is our constant companion, albeit an invisible one, always at our side. We should respond to him as we would to a visible friend who was your constant companion.
2. It means being consistent and persistent in prayer. The same Greek word for “continually” is used in Romans 1:9-10a, where Paul says, “God whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times.” Paul certainly did not keep mentioning the Romans in his prayers to the exclusion of all other prayer needs. So “continually” doesn’t mean that we have to be mentally or verbally praying all the time. It means we should pray over and over, and often. Our default mental state should be: “O God, help…”
Having "set times" to pray can help create the habit of praying, e.g., Daniel. Praying "spontaneously" as needs arise develops the disposition to pray in every circumstance. Together they make up ceaseless prayer.
Illustration: A story is told about a priest, a minister and a guru who sat discussing the best positions for prayer, while a telephone repairman worked nearby.
"Kneeling is definitely the best way to pray," the priest said.
"No," said the minister. "I get the best results standing with my hands outstretched to Heaven."
"You're both wrong," the guru said. "The most effective prayer position is lying face down on the floor."
The repairman could contain himself no longer. "Hey, fellas," he interrupted. "The best prayin' I ever did was when I was hangin' upside down from a telephone pole."
It doesn’t matter how, or when, you do it, just do it! Don’t wait until you are hanging upside down!
3. It means not giving up on prayer. It was in the midst of grief, pain and heartache that Paul said “pray continually.” In other words, don’t let circumstances keep you from seeing God. Don’t let circumstances cause you to turn away from God. Keep on praying. Keep on trusting. Keep on seeking God. God is most near in the most difficult times. In these times when God may seem silent, our prayers keep us focused on the reality of Christ.
In Lu. 18:1-8, Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow. In v. 1, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
Don’t stop praying. Never reach a point where you lose hope. Bro. Hooi prayed for 35 years and he saw his parents saved. Your miracle could be just round the corner. God is not slow in keeping His promise (2 Pet. 3:9). His timing is always perfect. Meanwhile His grace is sufficient to carry us through.
Someone once asked me “If God is in control, why pray?” There are plenty of theological reasons for prayer but in simple terms…
In prayer we find the peace of God.
Phil. 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Peace comes because prayer brings the presence of God into our circumstances. Prayer invites God into our and others lives, and into the situations, burdens, and challenges of them.
Peace comes because prayer turns our focus from our circumstances to God who is in control. Prayer tells God that we need Him, we want Him, that we're not in control, and that we trust in Him for our lives and the lives of those near and dear to our hearts.
Prayer changes things, but more importantly, prayer changes us. Prayer is for our benefit, not God’s! That is why we should pray continually.
Joseph M. Scriven wasn’t exaggerating when he wrote of the benefits of prayer in the hymn “What a Friend we have in Jesus!”
Prayer is to your soul, what breathing is to your body. If you do not breathe, you cannot live. If you do not pray, your soul will cease to thrive. Prayer is an integral part of abiding in the Lord. We need to live in a constant state of continual communication with God.
Praying should come as naturally to a Christian and breathing. Scripture doesn't ask us to do anything impossible. In fact, Jesus told us that "with God - all things are possible” and Rom. 8:26-28 assures us that the Spirit intercedes for us and helps us to pray.
“When joy and prayer are married their first born child is gratitude.” (Spurgeon)
Giving thanks in all circumstances.
Continual Thanksgiving is meant to be a way of life for a child of God!
There are 4 types of people.
1. Those who constantly complain.
Illustration: In some parts of Mexico hot springs and cold springs are found side by side--and because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon the women often bring their laundry and boil their clothes in the hot springs and then rinse them in the cold ones. A tourist who was watching this procedure commented to his Mexican friend and guide: "I imagine that they think old Mother Nature is pretty generous to supply such ample, clean hot and cold water here side by side for their free use." The guide replied, "No señor, there is much grumbling because she supplies no soap. " - James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 261-262.
2. Those who never give thanks. They take things for granted.
Illustration: Two friends met in the street. One man looked rather forlorn and down in the mouth. The other man asked, "Hey, how come you look like the whole world caved in?"
The sad fellow said, "Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, an uncle died and left me ten thousand dollars."
"I'm sorry to hear about the death, but a bit of good luck for you, eh?"
"Hold on, I'm just getting started. Two weeks ago, a cousin I never knew kicked the bucket and left me twenty thousand, free and clear."
"Well, you can't be disappointed with that!"
"Yep. But, last week my grandfather passed away. I inherited almost one hundred thousand dollars."
"Incredible! So how come you look so glum?"
"Well, this week ... nothing!"
3. Those who only give thanks for obvious blessings. That is most of us.
4. Those who give thanks in all circumstances. That is what God wants of us.
When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude. (Gilbert K. Chesterton)
But first let us establish 2 important facts:
1. Ingratitude displeases God
Rom. 1:18-21b The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him…
2. Gratitude is not natural to the human race
We have to teach children to say “please” and “thank you’.
Lu. 17:17-18 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Illustration: Why did only one man cleansed from leprosy return to thank Jesus? Someone has made a list of nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return:
One waited to see if the cure was real.
One waited to see if it would last.
One said he would see Jesus later.
One decided that he had never had leprosy in the first place.
One said he would have gotten well anyway.
One gave the glory to the priests.
One said, "O, well, Jesus didn't really do anything."
One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."
One said, "I was already much improved."
That's not surprising, is it? I doubt that more than ten percent of us are ever truly grateful to God. In fact, it often seems that the more we have, the less gratitude we feel.
2 Tim. 3:1-5 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
Eph. 5:18b-20 …be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It all begins with being filled with the Spirit who refocuses our attention away from ourselves and from our circumstances to God and reinforces our faith.
Rom. 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
An attitude of gratitude is important because:
1.Thankfulness acknowledges that God is our provider.
2. Thankfulness prevents a complaining spirit.
3. Thankfulness creates a positive outlook on life.
4. Thankfulness invites joy to dwell in our hearts. (Kent Crockett, Making Today Count for Eternity, Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, 2001, pp. 161)
Thanksgiving is the best way to dig ourselves out of the doldrums of discouragement. When we're discouraged or overwhelmed, we don’t feel like thanking God. But thanking the Lord for all He's done, is doing, and will do in due time, is the fastest way to change one's attitude and reenergize.
We don’t give thanks for everything, but in everything. We recognize God’s sovereign hand is in charge, and not blind fate or chance.
We give thanks about everything knowing that God is working all things together for good for His people who love Him (Rom.8:28)
3 reasons why we must learn to be thankful [Slide 20]
1. We must learn to be thankful or we become bitter.
2. We must learn to be thankful or we will become discouraged.
3. We must learn to be thankful or we will grow arrogant and self-satisfied.
So what is God’s will for you? [Slide 21]
Be joyful always
Pray continually
Give thanks in all circumstances in Christ Jesus
We are told to do all these because it is the will of God. The thought isn’t “this is God’s will, so you must do it.” The thought is rather “this is God’s will, so you can do it.” It isn’t easy to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks, but we can do it because it is God’s will.
The key words here are “in Christ Jesus.” We can do it because we are in Christ.
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| Pastor Gideon praying for the missions team going to Sarawak. |
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| Sis Melinda praying for newly weds Sam and Cat who will be starting their married life in Adelaide, Australia. |
