1 Thessalonians 5
Daily Bread 1 Thessalonians 5
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
Observation:
As Paul concludes this letter to this young church, he tells them to focus on three things. Be joyful, pray and give thanks. And he adds this is God’s will for you in Christ. Sometimes we wonder what is God’s will for us in Christ? There you have it! Sure we have some decisions that cause us to wonder where God is leading us. I am not trying to minimize the importance of those decisions. But as we live out our lives the more we focus on these three things, I think our lives will be a lot more productive.
Notice the all encompassing nature of these three things. Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. What Paul is talking about is a way of life not a “hit and miss” experience or feeling. Paul is not just recommending this way of life he is urging the disciples to be about these things.
Of course we cannot do this in our own strength. That is why Paul says in the next line do not put out the Spirit’s fire. It is the Holy Spirit that lives in us that causes us to be joyful, helps us to pray, and allows us to be thankful in all circumstances. We cannot do it on our own. And we live this out in community not alone. That is why Paul says “do not treat prophecies with contempt.” What does this mean?
To prophesy is to speak God’s Word in a timely manner in the context of community, where God speaks to his people through others, and not just the pastor. It was normative in the 1st century Christian church/community for there to be words of prophecy as they gathered together in homes and for worship. Meaning God spoke to them and as they listened and obeyed the power of God was unleashed and the Spirit set them on fire!
Application:
Do you experience continual joy and pray always and give thanks in all circumstances? What are the obstacles to this way of life? Do you have someone in your life that exemplifies this kind of walk with Christ? Since we cannot do this on our own we will need others in our lives that we allow to speak truth/prophesy of what they believe God is saying to us. And of course we are to test all of this to make sure it conforms with the principles God has revealed to us in His word.
And we will also need to prioritize our time with God, so we can hear what He might be saying to us as well. We can also pray when we are unsure of God’s will for us. As we read God’s word our mind is continually formed to the way God thinks and wants us to think. Finally and maybe most importantly v.24 says, “The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” What a promise? If we will do the things necessary to use these means of grace in our lives, God will produce the fruit in us and cause us to be joyous and thankful on all occasions. Will you pray with me…
Prayer: God we thank you for the promises You give that You will be faithful to do your holy work in and through us so we can be lights in a dark world. Help us to find others who are being formed in this same way, so that together we can become the disciples you called us to be. Send your Spirit to set us on fire so we can be filled with joy and thanksgiving despite our circumstances! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
19Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.
23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
Observation:
As Paul concludes this letter to this young church, he tells them to focus on three things. Be joyful, pray and give thanks. And he adds this is God’s will for you in Christ. Sometimes we wonder what is God’s will for us in Christ? There you have it! Sure we have some decisions that cause us to wonder where God is leading us. I am not trying to minimize the importance of those decisions. But as we live out our lives the more we focus on these three things, I think our lives will be a lot more productive.
Notice the all encompassing nature of these three things. Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. What Paul is talking about is a way of life not a “hit and miss” experience or feeling. Paul is not just recommending this way of life he is urging the disciples to be about these things.
Of course we cannot do this in our own strength. That is why Paul says in the next line do not put out the Spirit’s fire. It is the Holy Spirit that lives in us that causes us to be joyful, helps us to pray, and allows us to be thankful in all circumstances. We cannot do it on our own. And we live this out in community not alone. That is why Paul says “do not treat prophecies with contempt.” What does this mean?
To prophesy is to speak God’s Word in a timely manner in the context of community, where God speaks to his people through others, and not just the pastor. It was normative in the 1st century Christian church/community for there to be words of prophecy as they gathered together in homes and for worship. Meaning God spoke to them and as they listened and obeyed the power of God was unleashed and the Spirit set them on fire!
Application:
Do you experience continual joy and pray always and give thanks in all circumstances? What are the obstacles to this way of life? Do you have someone in your life that exemplifies this kind of walk with Christ? Since we cannot do this on our own we will need others in our lives that we allow to speak truth/prophesy of what they believe God is saying to us. And of course we are to test all of this to make sure it conforms with the principles God has revealed to us in His word.
And we will also need to prioritize our time with God, so we can hear what He might be saying to us as well. We can also pray when we are unsure of God’s will for us. As we read God’s word our mind is continually formed to the way God thinks and wants us to think. Finally and maybe most importantly v.24 says, “The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it.” What a promise? If we will do the things necessary to use these means of grace in our lives, God will produce the fruit in us and cause us to be joyous and thankful on all occasions. Will you pray with me…
Prayer: God we thank you for the promises You give that You will be faithful to do your holy work in and through us so we can be lights in a dark world. Help us to find others who are being formed in this same way, so that together we can become the disciples you called us to be. Send your Spirit to set us on fire so we can be filled with joy and thanksgiving despite our circumstances! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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