Oct 29, 2023 "Will of God"(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Will of God

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The will of God is not a supernatural thing but something quite obtainable.

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭30:11‭-‬12‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

[11] “For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. [12] It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’

In the New Testament, we are given another command which is the will of God.

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16‭-‬18‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

[16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We have a reason to be always joyful. That unchanging source is Jesus.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬

[8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

Our faith in Jesus allows us always to be joyful. Jesus will not change and his love for us never changes and because of this, we can be joyful.

Prayer is both common and a privilege for Christians. Prayer will keep us in contact with Jesus and our contact with Jesus will keep our joy. Through communication, our relationships become better. The more prayer, the more communication is achieved.

Heaven is where God dwells. Wherever you go, Heaven follows. If you do not feel God, Heaven is not there. Through prayer we feel and experience God more.

Prayer allows us to understand God’s heart. Prayer also allows us to be more grateful. By knowing God's heart, we will be grateful in all circumstances.

We are called to be grateful at all times because we have something to be thankful for.  Joseph went through many troubles and hardships, but he knew that this had happened for good and glorified God.

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Genesis‬ ‭50:20‬ ‭ESV‬‬‬‬‬‬

[20] As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

We can be joyful in all circumstances and live a very ordinary life.

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"Embracing the Will of God" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

 

What is the will of God for my life? There is a will that God wants us to practice in our lives. 1 Thessalonians tells us what the will of God is. It is simple.  

 

1.     Rejoice always

2.     Pray continually  

3.     Always give thanks  

 

By following these commands we will exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  

 

1.     Rejoice always

The first command tells us to be joyful. This joy is not happiness. Happiness is external and dependent on circumstances. Our joy is from the Lord. It should not matter what goes on in our life. 

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Philippians 4:4 ESV

 

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10 ESV

 

The people who were building the temple and the wall knew they needed strength and that strength was joy from the Lord.

 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 51:12 ESV

 

David knew when he had sinned and lost his joy.

 

2.     Pray continually  

We need to pray constantly.  We need to live in God's presence. this consciousness of God is with us. This can only be done through prayer. Prayer is very important in our own life. We need to set aside a time to be with God in prayer. God is waiting for us to pray. Create a time of prayer and stick to it.

 

 

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6 ESV

 

God is waiting to hear our prayers about everything. Worry will only take away our joy.  

 

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:2 ESV

 

When we do not pray, we are saying to God that we do not need him.

 

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Luke 18:1 ESV

 

Prayer is timeless. A consistent month of prayer will bring changes in your life.

 

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.

James 5:16-17 ESV

 

We need to pray every day because it is the will of God. A deliberate attempt to seek God will be rewarded.

 

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 8:26 ESV

 

The Holy Spirit will help us with prayer when we do not have the words.

 

The Devil does not want us to pray. This is why it is hard to pray.

 

praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

 

We need to pray for others, especially for people   

 

3.     Always give thanks

 

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

 

Even when we do not get what we pray for or we are still waiting for it. We need to thank God for failures and successes.

 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Psalm 100:4 ESV

 

 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 107:1 ESV

 

Thank God for the mountains and the valleys. God will see our grateful hearts.

 

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 4:2 ESV

 

So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

John 11:41 ESV

 

"An Attitude of Gratitude" (1 Thessalonians 5: 12-18)

 

[Nov 13, 2022] "An Attitude of Gratitude" (1 Thessalonians 5: 12-18)

Pastor Erik Stolz

"God's Will"(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

 Although we know that to be saved, we need to have faith in Jesus and confess that he is our savior, yet Matthew 7 warns us that just words are not enough.

 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 7:21 NIV

 

We are taught that to enter heaven, we need to do the will of God. Anyone who truly professes and believes that Jesus is their Lord and savior will naturally want to do the will of God and not just talk about it. However, what does it mean to do God's will? First Thessalonians 5 gives some insight into this.

 

pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 NIV

 

To command to rejoice or celebrate in gratitude is also repeated in Philippians 4.

 

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4 NIV

 

It can be hard to rejoice when our situation is difficult. When we are in need or suffering, it can be almost impossible to truly rejoice in God. How can we show our gratitude to God with unanswered prayers? Yet, Jesus wants us to rejoice in knowing we are saved because of his grace. This knowledge of being saved is enough to give thanks. We also should remember that the hard times we go through is to make us stronger as mentioned in Romans.

 

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;

Romans 5:3 NIV

 

Finally, our attitude can make a big difference on our life. Choosing to be joyful no matter the circumstances will surely improve our mood whereas being miserable with the times will make things worse.

 

A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:13 NIV

 

Prayer is also essential to do the will of God. In fact, we need to pray continually. We should take Daniel's approach and set a time and take our prayers seriously. Our prayers can be done in our daily life. We can have a conversation with God as we take a walk. Whenever we talk to God about anything, this is prayer.

 

Conversation goes two ways. When we pray, we need to tell God what is on our hearts, but we also need to listen. God’s message to us will come through QT, meditation, prayer, and worship. It is not enough that we just speak and make requests to God, we need to listen intently and purposefully obey the words of God.

 

Humility is essential to do God’s will. Our humility allows us to see who we really are. We must admit how sinful we are. In church, we can come as we are. We do not need to pretend to be someone we are not. It is our faith in Jesus Christ which will allow us to be saved and transformed. Admitting that we are not perfect, and it is Jesus changing us takes a humble heart, but that same humble will allow Jesus to do His work and allow us to love others as well.

 

We cannot fill the gaps of our unhappiness and need. When we realize who we are and what Jesus has done for us, we are doing the will of God. It is only Jesus who can truly heal us and save us and that is something to be grateful for and rejoiceful.