Title: Searching for God's Will
Contents
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 Title: Search for the will of God
What is a church?
The Greek word ‘ekklesia’ refers to a gathering of people that God has chosen from among the nations. The church is the member with Christ as its head. Our Korean church has experienced tremendous revival in the past 100 years. Christian culture moved ahead in every field. That is, it has led the culture. But if you look at the present reality, you are in a very miserable reality. Far from leading the culture, they are struggling to keep up with it. Why? For what? It is because the church is losing its vitality. What is the difference between plank and loach? The planks flow in the way the water flows. Why? Because it has no life force. But the loach goes back. Because it has life. We need to restore our first love, just like the words to the church in Ephesus in Revelation chapter 2. That is, we must find what we lost. Through the words of the text given today, we will learn about the things we have lost and the things we must protect. At this time, I pray that you and I will have a work of warming your hearts because of the Word.
Looking at the text;
1. It tells us to always rejoice.(16)
The power that a person can live in this world is because of joy. There are many joys in the world we live in. Most of our joy comes from having a goal and achieving it. But these joys are like flowers that bloom for a short time and then fade, like mist that disappears in the morning sun. This is because, in most cases, great joy comes after achieving the goal, but also great emptiness after that. So, does lasting joy not exist in this world? no. There is a joy that is constant and unchanging. It is the joy that comes from Jesus Christ.
This joy is the same for everyone who is hurt, forsaken, broken, torn, and broken in spirit. Those who possess this joy gain strength. Get satisfaction in life. If we are losing our joy in doing the Lord's work, if we feel that being in the Lord feels like a loss, we may need to reexamine ourselves. Let us not do the Lord's work nominally. It's just a waste of time. May you possess this joy that is not bound by this world.
2. It says to pray without ceasing.(17)
I trust you will add all of this to us.
3. It is a message to give thanks in everything.(18)
As we go through life, there are a lot of really difficult things around us. Therefore, they often complain, resent and become irritated without knowing it. But truly, the conditions of gratitude given to us in our lives are too great and many. One condition of small gratitude is also mostly valuable things that cannot be measured in price. always rejoice Pray without ceasing. thank you for everything This is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
※ What must we do to fulfill God's will based on the above words?
1) We must not quench the Holy Spirit.(19)
What is the true meaning of this word? The Holy Spirit is the gift that the Lord gave us after His death on the cross, His resurrection and ascension into heaven. This Spirit helps us to hear and act on the voice of the Lord in our hearts. If you start ignoring this inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you will become numb and you will be unable to break free from the law of sin and death.
2) Do not despise prophecy.(20)
God gave the Word to the ignorant people so that they can walk in a way that is worthy of God's will. Through this Word, we will have the ability to directly or indirectly experience and judge, so that we can judge the right and wrong ways in the light of the Word and walk the right path of faith.
3) We are told to count in everything and take good things (21).
We are always living a life of priorities. But we must determine these priorities in Jesus Christ, not in the life or central priorities of these priorities.
4) Evil is to give up all appearances.(22)
What is evil? Anything that deviates from God's will is evil. No matter how good you say you are in the world, if it has nothing to do with the will of the Lord, it becomes 'evil'.
< Conclusion >
How should we live in this age? It must show the true life force in the church. To summarize the above statement in one word, it is ‘in christ’ and “in Jesus”. In the meantime, we have lived in compromise with the world too much. Now, we must always rejoice in the Lord, constantly increase our abilities through prayer, and live a life of gratitude and obedience to the Lord's grace and providence. In addition, we must not quench the Holy Spirit so that the Lord can always participate in our lives, we must make the Word given to us manifest as power in us, have the wisdom to count and take good things according to the Lord's will, and see the evil in the Lord. You will have to live a life that pleases the Lord who does not see it.