Title Give thanks/ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Starting this morning, I am going to give a series of sermons on the topic of "How to live." For us, believing is the most important thing, but living is even more important. The Bible says that faith without life is itself dead. So, starting this morning, I'm going to give a sermon about 10 times on the topic of "How to live." This morning's sermon is titled "Thank You". The most beautiful people in the world are those who are grateful. Even the happiest person in the world is someone who knows how to be grateful. Let's try it somewhere. "Thank you." Because we don't say "thank you" too often, Yosai is training employees to say "thank you" at banks and department stores. A grateful person is a beautiful person, an ungrateful person is an unattractive person and an unhappy person.
The Bible directs us Christians to "give thanks." I command you to "give thanks in everything." We declare that it is the will of God to give thanks in all things. Let's try it once. “Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It is said that giving thanks in everything is the natural and proper life of Christians.
Gratitude comes when you have a heart that knows how to be grateful. If you have a grateful heart, you will be grateful for everything. When it rains, thank you for the rain, and when it snows, thank you for the snow. The ungrateful person is all dissatisfied, and all is complaining. When it rains, it rains and complains, and when it snows, it snows and complains. A grateful heart is a humble heart that thinks that everything is God's grace, everything is the grace of parents, and everything is the grace of neighbors and society. A person with a grateful heart says, “Thank God, thank you parents, thank you, neighbors. Thank you, saints.” That's why the Apostle Paul said, "Speak thanks" (Ephesians 5:4) instead of filthy words, foolish words, and mockery. David told them to sing a song of thanksgiving. “Come before him with singing, give thanks to him and bless his name” (Psalm 100:2,4).
A person who knows how to be grateful sings like this. "When I think quietly about everything the Lord has given me, my heart swells more and more" "In the morning of the dazzling sunlight, in the evening of the dazzling sunset, and in the night sky full of dazzling stars" My family, my beloved church, and my brothers who always understand, breathing and praising with joy.” “Everyone, everyone, give thanks for all the very precious and precious gifts from the Lord, and let’s praise the Lord.” “We all happily clapped our hands and danced happily Praise the Lord with a very loud voice, hallelujah hallelujah." The clergy will come out and sing a song of thanks. "....." Now, let's think about some of the things we should be grateful for in life in this world.
1. I can be thankful for just the fact that I am living as a human being.
The fact that I have life is enough for us to be thankful. Life is the most beautiful, most mysterious and noblest gift in the world. My parents passed on life to me, and ultimately, God created life and gave it to me as a gift. So David sang: “I give thanks to the Lord, for His creation is wonderful” (Psalm 139:14). The fact that I can see all things with my own eyes, even with that alone, can leave me feeling grateful for the rest of my life. The fact that I can hear the sounds of the world with my ears, even with that alone, can leave me feeling grateful for the rest of my life. The fact that I can express my thoughts and feelings as much as I want with my mouth, even with that alone, I can be grateful for the rest of my life.
Song Myung-hee, who could not speak properly with her mouth, cried out to God with her body and thanked and praised God. Did you see with your own eyes how you gave thanks to God while shouting with your whole body, “A just God, I do not have what others have, but a fair God gave me what others do not have”? Are you guys complaining? I'm ashamed. Even though Johnny Eriksson has a handicapped body that cannot move his body, his hands, and his feet, he is truly grateful to God with his beautiful angelic face and voice. Are you guys complaining? A healthy life is, of course, a condition to be grateful for, but an unhealthy life is still a condition to be grateful for. Because life is the most precious, most beautiful and most mysterious gift of God. The Apostle Paul rejoiced and was thankful even though he had a disease that was a thorn in the flesh.
Do you have a healthy stomach, mouth, and appetite that you can eat deliciously when you want to eat? Even with that alone, you can be grateful for the rest of your life. Do you have healthy legs and feet to walk wherever you want to go? Even with that alone, you can be grateful for the rest of your life. We can be thankful for just the fact that we live as human beings. I came to live as a human because my parents were there, I had a family, and I had a neighbor and a society. Therefore, we are eternally grateful not only to God, but also to our parents, family, and neighbors.
2. You can give thanks just for the fact that Jesus exists.
Even with just the fact that Jesus loved me and died for me, we can be thankful and thankful for the rest of our lives. Just for the fact that Jesus is my Lord and Lord of our family, we can be thankful for the rest of our lives. So we sing like this. "Thank you, Emmanuel, thank you for our house that serves only Jesus. Immanuel, have a blessed and happy day" (Chan 305). For the fact that there is Jesus, who was beaten for me, cursed for me, and died a cursed death for me, we can give thanks and praise for eternity.
The fact that Jesus came to meet me and you, to meet me, to save me, and to entrust me and you with his ministry is something we can thank and praise for eternity. We should rejoice, praise, and give thanks for all eternity with the fact that Jesus exists and that Jesus is our Lord and Savior. So we sing like this. “I love you Jesus, I bow down before you to worship and praise you” (Ps. 10). Let's sing together
3. You can be thankful for the fact that all things in nature are given as gifts.
We give thanks to the Lord when we look at the dazzling mornings of the sun, the evenings in the dazzling sunsets, and the night sky of brilliant stars. The Israelites sang a song of thanks while looking at the sky and the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars. “Give thanks to him who in wisdom made the heavens, thank him who spread out the earth on the water, thank him who made the great lights, give thanks to him who made the sun to rule the day, give thanks to him who made the moon and the stars rule the night (Psalm 136:5-9). When I look at the mountains, I feel so good. Even looking at the sea feels good. Even looking at the sky feels good. So a poem comes out, a song comes out, and thanks goes out. Summer mountains are good as summer mountains, and winter mountains are good as winter mountains. “Look all things in the world to praise the Lord, hallelujah, hallelujah, that golden bright sun, that silvery bright moon, praise God, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah” (Chapter 33).
4. You can be thankful for just the fact that there is a beautiful church.
The church is like a mother's arms. Therefore, when you enter the church, you have the warmth of a mother. When you come into the arms of the church, you will be given the grace of forgiveness and the grace of healing. Heavenly comfort and blessings are given. Words of encouragement and courage are given. Fellowship of love with the saints is given. That is why the psalmist sings that blessed are those who dwell in the house of the Lord. “Blessed are those who dwell in your house” (Psalm 84:4). Because I and you have Riverside Church, I and you are grateful. So we sing this hymn. “I always love the kingdom of my Lord, the temple of the Lord, and the church you bought with your blood” (Chan 246).
5. We can be thankful for hardships and adversity.
Those who believe and depend on God give thanks even in the face of hardship and adversity. Daniel gave thanks to God three times a day even though he was in danger of entering the lions' den. “Three times a day he knelt and prayed and gave thanks to God” (Daniel 6:10). Everyone, are you complaining about having a little trouble? I'm ashamed. The Apostle Paul rejoiced in the midst of persecution and suffering and was thankful. He gave thanks and praised him even in prison. “We rejoice in our tribulation” (Romans 5:3). “About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and praising God” (Acts 16:25).
Gratitude makes our faces and characters beautiful. It makes us happy. It makes people feel good. It pleases God. Make your prayers answered. Gratitude is like wings of prayer. “With thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). “Keep on the watch, for thanksgiving in prayer” (Colossians 4:2). How would you like to live? complaining? no. Let's buy with thanks. This is God's will for us. Let's not disobey God's will. I hope that you and I will live with gratitude.