2. The Will of God for Everyday Life 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 November 7, 2010

3. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 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.

4. COMMON PITFALLS IN KNOWING THE WILL OF GOD A neglect of the revealed will of God in Scripture.  REVEALED [preceptive] will of God: God’s precepts/law/command.  HIDDEN [decretive] will of God: God’s will/plan kept secret until it is revealed in the due course of time. A mystical approach toward the will of God.  It reveals the wrong premise—“man-centeredness” in seeking God’s will (horoscope).  It also reveals the low view of Scripture in seeking God’s will. A confusion of God’s will for everyday life.  It is not to give us a burden but to give us true joy.  It is not trivial but crucial to be guided by God’s guidance.  As for today’s text, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, the confusion is due to the counter-intuitive nature of life by faith.

5. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 1)God’s Will #1: Rejoice always (v.16). Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4 May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!" Psalm 70:4 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 63:10 [NIV]

6. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 1)God’s Will #1: Rejoice always (v.16).  We are to REJOICE… not to “be rejoiced” (i.e., a command for ACTIVE obedience). “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” - C. S. Lewis

7. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 1)God’s Will #1: Rejoice always (v.16).  We are to REJOICE… not to “be rejoiced” (i.e., a command for ACTIVE obedience).  We are to rejoice… IN THE LORD. Not in husband/wife/children/boyfriend/girlfriend. Not in house/bank-account/new car/new toy. Not in career/job/ministry. Not in circumstances.

8. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 1)God’s Will #1: Rejoice always (v.16).  We are to REJOICE… not to “be rejoiced” (i.e., a command for ACTIVE obedience).  We are to rejoice… IN THE LORD.  We are to rejoice… in the Lord ALWAYS—not just sometimes when we feel joyful. Why? To rejoice means to declare our dependence on God.

9. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 2)God’s Will #2: Pray without ceasing (v.17). Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12 …praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. Ephesians 6:18a Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

10. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 2)God’s Will #2: Pray without ceasing (v.17).  In order to rejoice always, we are to draw the joy and strength from God through prayer.  We are to pray always by making prayer as the way of life throughout the course of each day.  We can apply “praying without ceasing” in two ways: Don’t stop praying regularly and repeatedly. Maintain your Spirit-dependent heart in ongoing thought conversation with God.

11. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 3)God’s Will #3: Give thanks in all circumstances (v.18). giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 107:1

12. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 3)God’s Will #3: Give thanks in all circumstances (v.18).  We are to give thanks… not FOR everything but IN everything—i.e., circumstances are not to be the primary reason.  We are to give thanks… in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES:  When good things happen to us.  When bad things happen to us.  When we experience blessings and happiness.  When we are sad, hurt, discouraged.  When things go our way.  When everything seems go wrong.  In ALL circumstances.

13. SIMPLE YET PROFOUND: THE THREEFOLD WILL OF GOD FOR EVERYDAY LIFE 3)God’s Will #3: Give thanks in all circumstances (v.18).  We are to give thanks… not FOR everything but IN everything—i.e., circumstances are not to be the primary reason.  We are to give thanks… in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.  Why? To give thanks is the best way to show that we trust God with everything and that God is good (that God is great!).

14. A Matter of Cultivation A happy and cheerful heart is a matter of cultivation. We cannot afford to abandon ourselves entirely to our moods. There are times when we feel depressed and sad, for no special reason, except that a mood is on us! It is at such times that we need to anoint our heads, and wash our faces, that we may not be consumed by our fretfulness, or impose our depression upon others, for nothing is worse than to be a wet blanket! We may alter our dispositions and moods by a resolute action of the will. We can refuse to look miserable, to speak mournfully, to be pessimistic, to pass on depression. In a spirit of unselfishness we can put on a cheerful courage, array ourselves in the garments of joy, anoint ourselves with the spirit of praise and thankfulness, and go forth into the world to shed sunbeams rather than shadows on the path of life... How can this be obtained except by a living union with Jesus Christ? In Him there is an infinitude of supply of peace and joy, sunshine and light. Let us open our hearts to Him, and put on these things as we array ourselves each morning in our garments (Isaiah 61:3-10). - F. B. Meyer

15. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR EVERYDAY LIFE 1.For JOY: What REALIZATION will help me to rejoice always? 2.For PRAYER: What DECISION do I need to make prayer as a way of life—throughout each day and as a daily rhythm? 3.For GIVING THANKS: What CONFESSION do I need to make to give thanks in all circumstances?