Preached in Markham Baptist Church, October 7,  2007

Holidays can be brutal times for people.  Thanksgiving is much like Christmas in that you are told by a date on the calendar what disposition your spirit should be in.  At Christmas you are told to be merry, joyful, cheerful.  At thanksgiving you are told be thankful.  And this is the difficult part of Christmas and thanksgiving for many people – you can’t program thankfulness – we cannot turn a switch and say, “Today I will be thankful, because someone decided that today would be thanksgiving.” 

And if you are down and depressed and feeling the difficulty of life and people tell you should be thankful, it usually has the opposite effect – making us even more resentful that in the midst of hardship and depression we have to be thankful and we grit our teeth and say, “I’m not going to be thankful.”

However, thanksgiving remains a key note in the Christian life. Thanksgiving is far from a scheduled event in Scripture and is more like a settled attitude.  Thanksgiving is to be the theme of our life, the foundation of our worship, our primary offering to God. 

So there is the difficulty.  Thankfulness, like any emotion, cannot be programmed, but at the same time we are told in Scripture to give thanks to God for He is good, His love endures forever (see Psalms 100, 107). 

So we come to the opening chapter in 1 Thessalonians.  You will remember in our previous study how the Thessalonian Christians were a group who received the message of the gospel in the midst of great persecution.  Paul and his fellow missionaries are accused of treason and threatened and forced to flee from the great port city. 

The Thessalonian church did not grow up in the midst of a culture of tolerant pluralism.   They were hated, persecuted and had to meet in secret.  We who have grown up in Canada may never know what it means to be truly hated for our beliefs and have our life on the line because of what we believe, but this is the way that it was for the Thessalonians. 

Here is a group of people who could say, “What do we have to be thankful for?  We’re mistreated, we’re hated, we’re persecuted. Don’t tell me to be thankful.”

But the opening chapter of 1 Thessalonians sings with thanksgiving, and I pray that it will be of help to those of you who are finding it difficult to give thanks right now because of the situations in life.  The blessings of life have become dull for you because life is so hard and the stress is too great.  You find it difficult to be thankful.  I pray that you will discover the blessings of God are for you in the midst of difficulty and I pray that you may even be a source of thanksgiving for others. 

For those of you who are in the sunshine of life – I pray that this sermon will be helpful for you to remember to give thanks for the blessings that are yours and that you too would be a source of thanksgiving for others. 

If you have your Bibles with you I invite you to open them to the first chapter – I want to take you through verse by verse as we think about giving thanks and being a reason for thanksgiving. 

You will note that this is a letter and it takes the form of a letter.  It is not like how we construct our letters, but it is like the ancient Greeks and Romans constructed their letters.

At the head of the letter the writer is identified – here, Paul.  It sounds like he’s writing to his friends, doesn’t it?  That’s the way I sign my letters to my friends. I don’t sign them, Rev. Dr. Tom Cullen, but simply Tom.

You’ll see in that first verse that Paul also mentions his two fellow workers, Silas and Timothy. Both were at Thessalonica at one time ministering there and are familiar to the Thessalonian Christians.

Not only is the writer identified but the receiver is identified at the head of an ancient letter – and here we see it addressed to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isn’t that a beautiful way to address someone?  Take note of that little word “in”.  It’s a little word but it is significant because it is synonymous to one of Paul’s favourite phrases that he uses again and again in his letters – “in Christ”.  It means to be rooted in, living in, drawing its life from.   The picture behind this is Jesus’ words about Himself being the vine and we being the branches.

So right from the beginning Paul is writing to these Christians who are faced with such difficulties and such trials, such persecutions and he says, “to the church of the Thessalonians in God, rooted in, sustained by, in the palm of the hand of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Can you see how one would gain strength in the affirmation that in the midst of the trials of life we are still rooted in God the Father and Christ the Son?  And no matter what comes our way we cannot be shaken. 

“Grace and peace to you,” says Paul.  A typical greeting for an ancient letter is “Hail!”. So Paul simply Christianizes the usual form and says, “Grace and peace to you.” 

What follows next is again in keeping with the form of an ancient letter - the thanksgiving section.  And again Paul claims an old form but makes it Christ-honouring and the thanksgiving he offers is for God and for the Thessalonians.

And through it all he subtly reminds the Thessalonians that even though times are tough, even though they are facing sorrow and persecution, there is a reason for thanksgiving.

And for what does Paul give thanks?  He gives thanks to God for the work that God has done in the hearts of the Thessalonians.

You can imagine in your mind’s eye Paul writing this letter to the Thessalonians and there is Timothy who has just brought back word of their welfare and Timothy tells Paul, “Paul, they are having a difficult time.  They are suffering badly, they need some word of encouragement from you.  They don’t know if God is for them, they are waiting for Christ’s return, but the going is rough for them.  They are facing such trials and hardship, Paul.”

And you can see that Paul has this in mind as he writes this thanksgiving section. He is concerned that the Christians know that God has them firmly in His hand and that He will not let them go.  That God’s love has not waned or faltered during this time of hardship.

Verse 2 – 4

“We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you.”

Two wonderful affirmations there – the first is that we are loved by God. 

O, to know that God loves you and me is a wonderful strengthening truth.  Do you remember the first time a girl or a boy told you that they loved you?  What a thrill!  Or do you remember when you doubted your parents’ love for you – because maybe you had done something wrong  but in spite of that they said to you, “I love you.”  To be loved by someone is thrilling.  To be loved by God is wonderful. 

Don’t you find that you are able to face a multitude of difficulties and a tidal wave of trials as long as you are sure that God loves you?  And we can be sure of that, we are assured of this over and over again in Scripture as we look to the cross.

The great theologian, Karl Bart has written volume after volume of theology - book upon book discussing who God is and what He’s about – all technical, mind expanding intricate writing about the person of God.  He was once asked, “What is the one single truth that would underpin all theology?” and we think of all the complicated systems that Karl Bart put together from Scripture. You would think that he would give an answer that would make your head spin – but instead he replied, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” 

This is the reason for our thanksgiving – that God loves us. 

But not only this but He has chosen us.  Again, verse 4 - “For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you.”

Isn’t that a wonderful truth?  God has chosen you.  This is a great truth especially for those who are going through difficult times.  Sometimes we get to thinking, especially when tough times come, that God has abandoned us, that God cannot be for us, that all His promises aren’t worth the paper that they are printed on – that all of a sudden God has forgotten us.  But Scripture says, no!

And we are presented here with the reassuring truth that once we belong to God, no one can do anything to take us out of His hand – no one, no thing, no circumstance can shake the fact that we now belong to God now and forever.  Trouble, hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword – nothing, says Scripture in Romans 8, can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

These two fundamental truths are the basis of our thanksgiving.  O how when everything around us seems to be falling apart, when everything around seems to be changing, we need to reflect on these two unchangeable facts – the love of God and the steadfast hold of God upon our lives. 

These two facts never change.  His love for you today is as strong as it was yesterday, and nothing you can do can make Him love you less and nothing you can do will make Him love you more.  It’s all been done for us in the cross of Christ.

The reason for our thanksgiving.  And when we feel that Scripture is hoisting attitudes on us that we may not feel – for instance, when we read a little further in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 – “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus,” it may be that we are forgetting two foundational truths – the reason for our thanksgiving – God loves you, God has chosen you.

Well the question we might ask Paul is, “How do we know that we are God’s chosen?”  The Thessalonians may well have asked that question because they were going through such a difficult time. How do we know we are God’s chosen?

Now scholars are split over this – some believe that verse 3 gives evidence of the Thessalonians place in the family of God and some believe that verse 5 and 6 gives proof of God’s favour toward the Thessalonians.  The NIV says verse 5 is the modifier, the King James says verse 3 is the modifier.  The difficulty is that in the Greek text, this first chapter is one long sentence with no punctuation.

But surely if we think about it, it would have to be both.

Verse 5 and 6 speaks of our salvation – and verse 3 speaks of our transformation – both are proof of being chosen by God.  Verse 5 speaks of our rootedness in God verse 3 speaks of the fruit that we bear because of our rootedness.

Verse 5 - “Our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of person we proved to be among you for your sake.” 

Paul says, in effect, do you doubt your place in God’s family?  Well I don’t, he says, because I saw how you were saved, how the word came to you not just with words, although words were present, they came with words infused with the power of the Holy Spirit Himself and delivered to you with great conviction.  The primary agent of the Holy Spirit, the one who leads a person into all truth, was present working through Paul’s proclamation. 

And what happened? Verse 6 - “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit.” 

The Thessalonians weren’t baptized in lemon juice.  Do you know some Christians like that?  If they were to smile their face would crack?  My goodness some of you are like that on Sunday morning.  Some of you can be so hard to preach to – never showing any expression – others of you are a real encouragement – smiling, nodding, delighting in the worship. 

The Thessalonians weren’t baptized in lemon juice, so that they always went around gloomy and glum but they received the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit. 

Our salvation – it is one evidence of our membership in the family of God.  But there is also transformation. 

Go back to verse 3 – Paul mentions their work of faith, their labour of love and steadfastness of hope.  This is the great threesome that Paul often speaks about.  This is the fruit of being chosen by God and loved by God.  There is the work that is prompted by faith, there is the labour done in love and there is a steadfast hope in God and His goodness. 

All these are the basis for our thanksgiving.  Sometimes we think we don’t have anything to be thankful for, but Scripture says look again, for you have the love of God – He has saved you! Think of the joy of that! Think of the fruit of that – you have faith, love and hope.  

And you have the assurance that God will never let you go.

The reason for our thanksgiving.  But in the minutes that remain let’s think  about the close of this chapter.  And ask yourself if you are the cause of thanksgiving.  The Thessalonians were such a people.

And imagine their surprise when they hear this.  Here they are down on themselves and down on their place in the Kingdom and Paul says, you know, you are the reason for my thanksgiving.

In verses 7-10 Paul goes on to say how the Thessalonians have become a model church, that is, they became an exemplary people.  Verse 7 (picked up half way through 6) - “In spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”

When people look at our church do they see an exemplary people?  Many do.  We hear testimony after testimony on Sunday mornings – people saying thank you for the care you gave them.  I thank God for Markham Baptist Church and the practical way people show their love and I thank you for your prayers.  That’s a good thing.  May the Lord make us more exemplary in every way – chipping away at what is sinful and leaving for His glory that which is God-honouring and glorifying.

For many we are the reason for thanksgiving.

In verse 8 and 9 we read, “For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith in God has become known so that we have no need to speak about it.  For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God.”       

That is, they were an enthusiastic people.  These people had been saved just a few months.  They did not have the instruction most new Christians have today, yet they were enthusiastic about their witness for Christ.

Paul doesn’t even need to talk about the amazing transformation that has happened there.  He says everyone is talking about how they turned to the living God from dead idols and are now serving God and waiting for his Son to return.

The Thessalonians had much to be thankful for, but they also became the reason for thanksgiving.

The verb, “rang out”  in verse 8 is wonderful.  It carries the idea of blowing a trumpet.  So while these believers were waiting for the trumpet to blow to call them home they were trumpeting the gospel loud and clear to their friends.

How I pray that that would occur in our church that the gospel would reverberate through this town from our church.  May God save us from blowing our own trumpets.  People aren’t saved by that kind of trumpet-blowing.  But oh, that we would blow the trumpet of the Gospel loud and clear, boldly, proclaiming that there is only one name under heaven by which we are saved, the name of Jesus Christ.

And please don’t think that we can somehow muster this enthusiasm up through pep rallies and the like - no, no.  It is a God-given enthusiasm as we reflect on those first two facts – that we are loved and forever in God’s hand through faith in Christ.  We are filled with the joy of our salvation and that enthusiasm and love for Christ fills us and overflows to all those around us.

And wouldn’t we again be the reason for thanksgiving if the message of the gospel rang out from our collective lives and this town was changed because of our genuine enthusiasm for the message of the gospel?  O, to have people standing here, testifying, saying I heard of God’s love from you, I am now firmly a part of God’s family because of your living the faith.  O, that we were a reason for thanksgiving.

It can happen … it can happen as we go back and fill ourselves with the truth of God’s love and God’s steadfast hold of us - we become a reason for thanksgiving.

An exemplary people, an enthusiastic people. Verse 10 speaks of an expectant people - “… and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead – Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.”

We saw two weeks ago how the second coming of Christ is the basic theme of this book.  Each chapter relates Christ’s return to a basic Christian truth.  In this chapter we see that Christ’s coming is the blessed hope of those being saved.

While the lost are blindly worshipping and serving their idols, the saved are serving the living God and rejoicing in the living hope that Christ will come again.

The next event circled in red on God’s calendar is Christ’s return in the air, at which time the church will be caught up to meet Him.   We will be saved from the wrath of God for Jesus Christ has taken that wrath on Himself on the cross.

I wonder what is the next event circled in red on the church calendar?  Unfortunately I believe that it is the next social or program. None of these are bad – that’s not what I’m saying – but there appears to be a lack of expectation, we are no longer living on tiptoe, waiting for our Lord’s return. We have forgotten the warning of our Lord in Luke 21 - “Be careful,” he said, “or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation [that is gluttony, or overindulgence] drunkenness, and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”

How many of us does that describe?  So many of us are weighted down with the things of this life.  All of them a great gift from God – food, drink, work – all a great gift from God but we have become weighed down with them, so addicted to each one that it could be argued that never in the history of the world has there been a society that is so overweight, so addicted to stimulants, who work so hard that a whole new world has been introduced into our dictionaries to describe us - workaholics. 

My friends, have we lost our buoyant expectation that Christ will come again so that people when they look at us no longer say, there is a people filled with a living hope?

God’s Word reminds us today that we need not live this way.  On the contrary, we are in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, so our confidence in Him is sure and strong and so we have confidence for the day of judgment.

Martin Luther that great reformer said, “Let us live as though Christ were born yesterday, risen today, and coming tomorrow.”

Thanksgiving can be a difficult time – but let us remember that we truly have something to be thankful for – God loves you, God has chosen you. Let us live so that we are the reason for thanksgiving in other people’s lives.

Amen.

Copyright MBC and Tom Cullen - October 2007

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