1 Thess 5:16-18, Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 
	This morning, as we conclude our brief consideration of 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5, we do so with the remembrance that we are to be filled with thanksgiving for the very goodness of God. We have considered the overabundant grace and goodness of God in the salvation that He has wrought for us in Jesus Christ. Today, let us take this command to be thankful into an increasingly deeper level of commitment. That is what is before us, after all. We need to commit ourselves to be thankful to God, no matter what our earthly stress, situation, condition, or circumstance. Whatever befalls us on this earthly trek has no comparison to the work of God’s love in our hearts in Jesus Christ Our Lord. 
As the Apostle states in Phil 3:7-11, But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. With this same heart let us look at the truth of giving God thanksgiving in spite of all the trials and tribulations that beset our earthly walk.
	In Hab 3:17-19, we read Though the fig tree should not blossom, And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail, And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold, And there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places. This was in reference to earthly famine. Despite the sense of earthly devastation and void, we find that we are still to rely fully on God. We have no excuse, based on our earthly condition, to refuse to honor God for the magnificence of His love in our lives. He is our strength and our salvation. For that, we must always consider Him with hearts of thankfulness.
This applies as equally to our spiritual periods of famine. Just because we feel that there is a void in our lives, just because we sense some lack of spiritual growth, just because we lose ourselves in the thoughts of hopelessness, depression, and despair, we still have no reason to withhold from God the every thanksgiving of our hearts. If we truly consider Him as the Lord God Almighty, the Lord God Creator, the Lord God Our Redeemer, and the Lord God Our Savior, what difference does it make how we feel or how we perceive our spiritual lack? He is our everything! There is nothing else in of any value in us that counts for anything. He has given us life in Jesus Christ. In that complete truth, we need to open our hearts unto Him and forget about our pitiful feelings and false reasoning. He loved us so much that He gave His very Son to create a living and full relationship with Himself. For that He deserves our thanks and praise and honor, no matter what!
	We need to learn that our visible, earthly situation and emotions are a very poor and false sense of what is truly taking place in our lives. Consider the words of Jesus Christ as He tells us, in Matt 5:11+12, "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. With our reasoning, in our understanding, with our limited human wisdom, this makes no sense. But we don’t live by our limited perspective and understanding, we live by the power and the strength and the mercy and the knowledge and the wisdom of God Almighty as we obey His Word opened in our hearts by His Holy Spirit. For that we must give Him the deepest thanks of our hearts and souls. 
	As we have seen in prior considerations, the Apostles knew this truth most abundantly. Remember what is recorded in Acts 5:40-42, as the Apostles were on trial before the Sanhedrin Council? And they took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ.
	Even as we considered last week, this thanksgiving was heard even from the depths of prison with Paul and Silas, and led to the redemption of the jailor and his entire household. Acts 16:23-25, And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 
	Listen to the Apostle Paul as he recounts to the Corinthian church the fact that despite all the earthly abuse and torment of this age, his life was hid in Christ Jesus and that truth caused him, and the other ministers of Christ to rejoice despite the list of things that this world would have considered overpowering and not worth the pain and suffering. 2 Cor 6:1-10, And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain —  for He says, "At the acceptable time I listened to you, And on the day of salvation I helped you"; behold, now is "the acceptable time," behold, now is "the day of salvation" —  giving no cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. 
	Paul goes so far as to say that he rejoices in his sufferings for the sake of the church of God’s heart. Col 1:24, Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions. 
	Listen to the writer to the Hebrews as he encourages the readers to not fall back but to go on in faith and in the perseverance of everything for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ. Heb 10:32-39, But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly, by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. 
	The Apostle Peter echoes a similar encouragement in 1 Peter 4:12-14, where he identifies the value of going through the fiery trials of this age with rejoicing in the power of God at work. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 
	One of the greatest elements lacking in the generations of today is that of joyous gratitude. We have just considered the fact that we are to be thankful in all things, despite any trial or tribulation or want or loss, because of the great Love of God as He is working in our lives to His glory. Our current generations, however, are facing a far more insidious type of trial that is seemingly finding greater acceptance in our society. This world age is trying a completely different tactic in its attempts to instill a deepening discontent within Christendom. It is in the overabundance of this day’s life that we are finding our lack of thankfulness. It is evident in the manner of our treatment of parents as owing us a living. It is in the attitude of entitlement that infests our society. It is in the complete determination to get that which we think we deserve wherein we forget to be thankful to the Lord. It is because we have so much that we lack the gratitude for that which we receive from man or from God.
	Please note what God’s Word tells us in Col 2:6+7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. We are to be overflowing with gratitude. This gratitude is focused on God, and as it flows forth unto Him, it should shower itself upon all those in our families and in our fellowship. We are to thank the Lord and to teach our children and our grandchildren to thank the Lord. For everything, whether we have much or little, whether we are rich or poor, whether we are powerful or weak, we are to count it all unto the Lord in all His lovingkindness and give Him living sacrifices of gratitude and thanksgiving. 
	Listen to the Psalmist as he considers the Lord in all thanksgiving. Ps 68:18-20, Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captive Thy captives; Thou hast received gifts among men, Even among the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell there. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah. God is to us a God of deliverances; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death. 
	Daniel knew of the thanksgiving that was due to the Lord. He did not hesitate to give Him all the glory for the great and the small things in his life. He recounts the overthrow of governments and the answering of prayer. Dan 2:20-23, Daniel answered and said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. "And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding. "It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him. "To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For Thou hast given me wisdom and power; Even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, For Thou hast made known to us the king's matter." 
	Our young will only learn to be thankful as they see that thankfulness livingly evidenced in our homes and in our fellowship. As we gather together, as we face the day, as we consider the Lord, it should be, NO, it must be done with hearts that express in life the joy that is ours in Christ Jesus and the thankfulness that makes that joy alive and vibrant to the honor of God.
	As we are told in 2 Cor 9:10-15, we should consider the gift of Jesus Christ with indescribable thanksgiving unto God. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all, while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 
	We conclude this morning with the admonition given to us in Col 3:12-17. This is the manner in which we express our wholehearted gratitude to God. This is the manner in which we learn to be thankful in our hearts and beings for Christ. This is the manner in which we teach our young to live their lives in gratitude to God for all things. This is the manner in which, we as God’s Church, express our heart of love unto Him in all fullness and reality. This is how we touch the heart of God as we gather together in our time of worship unto Him. And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Amen

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Amen

Guests
Announcements:		Today is Music Sunday at the Hardings
Young people’s meetings
Tuesday – Men at Dupars 6AM
				Women’s meeting
				Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
				Dave surgery on Tuesday (prayer)
Other Announcements?	
Birthdays:			Today		Andreas Meyer 
Wednesday	Jack Heinzman and Kate Smith
Thursday	Karen Menzie and Jason Bryant
Friday		Anika Smith
Anniversaries:		None
	This morning’s benediction is  Col 1:9-14 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Amen