The will of God for my life is……… Part 3

This is the third and final message in the series entitled the will of God for my life is. For the past two weeks we have studied 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 in which the Apostle Paul clearly tells us what the will of God for our life is which is to;

Rejoice Always
Pray without ceasing
In everything give thanks

We realized that its is indeed possible to always be in a state of rejoicing in spite of the difficulties and life challenges we go through. We also learned about the many ways to pray as well as the benefits of prayer and what happens when we pray.

Rather than revisit each topic I encourage you to get a copy of the CD that’s available in the media ministry.

This week we will conclude the series by addressing Gods will for our lives which is to give thanks in everything.

Is it possible to be thankful for everything? Sure its easy to thank God for the many blessings he bestowed on us but what about the tragedies that we experience. Is it really possible to be, “Thankful” for

A divorce
Unemployment
Problems with our children
Sickness
Loss of a loved one?

Open your bibles to the book of Philippians chapter one. This book was written by the Apostle Paul to the church of Philippi when he was imprisoned in Rome. The Apostle Paul’s life was very difficult once he came to Christ. Christ himself said that Paul would have to suffer dearly for the gospel and in some of the most descriptive verses of his ministry Paul personally describes some of the hardships he has been through;

In 2 Cor 11:23-27-“ Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes.25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.


So, how could this Apostle stay in an attitude of thankfulness? Paul gives us a clear understanding of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 throughout the book of Philippians. Here we find the key to how we can be thankful in all situations;

1. You can be thankful that your condition is not your position in Christ! Philippians 1:6-“Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you is faithful to complete it.” When you are going through a difficult time, it’s easy to feel as if you will never get out of it. Sometimes depression gets a hold of us and we feel that we will be stuck in our condition forever.
• I will never be healed
• I will never get out of debt
• My children will never come back to me
• My spouse will never return to this marriage.
• I will never find another job.

When these things happen you must remember and say to yourself that you are a work in process. (Say to yourself, “I am a work in process!”) God is not through with you until you are conformed into the image of Christ. Therefore you will get out of your current situation. Because you know God will not leave you like this. You are forever being changed into the image of Christ and because of that, this difficulty will be used to bring out more qualities like Jesus! God is the potter we are the clay-we are on the potter’s wheel 24/7 and God uses these circumstances to mold us into the images of His son



2. You can be thankful that your situation is spreading the gospel. -Philippians 1:14-“And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much bold to speak the word without fear.” Your life is a living testimony to Christ. Everything you do from the point of your salvation is being watched by the world. Whether you are in ministry or not, your responsibility is to go out into the world and share the gospel. You indirectly do this by supporting the efforts of others, who preach and evangelize but directly you do this by your life witness. If you are going through a difficult time, and you are completely at peace trusting in God. Know that people are watching your reactions. If you complaining, and having a pity party, people will say, “So much for being a Christian” but if you are showing them your trust in Christ in this circumstance, they will want the gospel as well. Philippians 2:14-15 “Do everything without complaining and disputing, that you may be blameless and harmless, Children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” You evangelize by your life, you disciple by your witness to others. Paul clearly shows us that it was through his chains and his reaction to being in chains that others begin to preach without fear. What are you showing others at work, at school, and in your daily activities? Who rules, your circumstances or Christ? You can be thankful because you are using your difficulty to spread the gospel!



3. You can be thankful that no matter what you’re going through, its already history . -Philippians 3:12-14-“ Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Isn’t it comforting to know that whatever happened to you yesterday is already history? God doesn’t want us to hold onto the past but we sometimes wear it like a medal of honor. We keep the hurt and condemnation ever before us so that we can never move past it. Paul said to forget it, move forward, and press onward. Isaiah 43:25 states, “I am He that blotted out your transgression for my own sake and will remember your sins no more.” The problem is we refuse to give our pain to the Lord by laying at the altar or when we do lay it at the altar we pick it up again and start the painful process all over. Give your tears to God and He will turn your morning into gladness! No matter what you are going through, you can be thankful because you are still in the race, and God did not count you out! The Rock Trilogy is one of my favorite movies. The last one, Rocky V presents Rocky as a tired washed up boxer in the fight of his life. He gets pounded by a younger hungrier opponent. Suddenly Rocky gets knocked down add the opponent knows he won, Rocky looks up and sees his best friend and manager Mickey who yells at him, “Get up, I didn’t hear no bell! Get up because Mickey loves you!” You may be down for the count today and it may feel like you are on the mat. The referee is counting, but Jesus is yelling at you to get up! Proverbs 24:16 states if a righteous man falls seven times he will get up! Why, because your not done yet! Rocky got up and won the fight; you will get up and win as well. Paul knew this, he knew that there was a prize waiting for him and souls waiting for him to save. There are souls waiting for you to save as well.
4. You can be thankful because no matter what happens to you here, your true home is heaven! -Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven” As much as we hate to think about it, though it should be ever present in our mind, is this fact; one day we will die. Each day we get closer and closer to death, our bodies get older and older until one day will take our last breath. When a believer dies; they enter paradise forever. You are in the presence of the Lord with a new glorified body; there is no death, no sickness, no pain and no tears. If you know that’s waiting for you that’s waiting for you, what on this earth can cause you grief? Does it really matter what we are going through when sooner or later we will be with the King? You have to look at it this way, each day, each problem, each tragedy, you are just passing through. It can not attach itself to you because where you’re going; nothing and no one can harm you! Sometimes at work, when someone asks me how im doing I say, “If I was doing any better id be dead” They look at me like im crazy because they don’t have the citizenship I do. I’m on my way home. I’m not staying in this mess; my problems are yesterday’s news, im passing through to something better, someone better to be with Christ. That’s why Paul said, to live is Christ and to die is gain!
5. You can be thankful that you have the Prince of Peace living on the inside of you! Philippians 4:6-7 “The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Six times in the bible Jesus tells us not to worry because anxiousness takes away our witness, our health, and our peace. Jesus also said in Matthew 11:28-30 to give all your pain and worry to Him. Go to God in prayer and make your request known. Then do as Jesus said, ask and believe that you receive! If you truly believe that God is God and that He will do what He said He can do, is there any need to worry. And when anxiety leaves, it’s replaced with peace a peace that can not be moved by your circumstances! This peace protects you from doubt, fear, frustration and any other emotion that is contrary to God!
6. You can be thankful that you can focus on an all-powerful, omnipotent, merciful God. -Philippians 4:8- 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. Proverbs 23:7 states as a man thinks in his heart so is he. It’s no scientific fact that if we think about things constantly sooner or later those things will become our reality. If you are constantly thinking defeat, loss, worry, self condemnation you will become these things. If you constantly tell yourself you will never get out of this, you will always be this or that, or you will never amount to anything you never will. God will only work with what you give him, you give him faith and He will work miracles, you give him doubt and you will stay where you are. What did Paul do when he faced difficulties, he said I can make it, I’m victorious, I don’t belong here, and so he kept going and his reality changed!
7. You can be thankful when you realize that God is your source and His resources are unlimited! Philippians 4:12-13 “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Here is the secret to the matter, that Paul new and you must get. Inside of you is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Inside of you is the name of a person that is above every name conceivable to man. There is nothing or anything that is greater than Him. He said in John chapter 16 that in the world we will have many troubles but that He has overcome the world. In Him is everything and through Him there is nothing you can not do or overcome! Paul said it didn’t matter if he had or didn’t, because he knew who was living on the inside of him. That’s why he said in Philippians 4:19, “19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. “
If you are in Christ, He lives inside of you and through him you can overcome any circumstance you are dealing with!

8. You can be thankful because you have something no one can ever take away, your salvation! Nothing can take away His love and His gift of salvation! It’s easy to thank God for the things we have and see, but those things are all temporal. The enemy loves for us to thank God for those things because when he does, he comes to steal the joy of those things. We thank God for the job then what happens, we lose it. We thank God for our children, then what, one goes astray. We thank Him for our spouse and then what, they start acting up! But there is one thing that we can thank God for that no circumstance can take away, and that’s His love and His gift of eternal life through His son Jesus. The bible says that the gifts and calling of God is irrevocable. God has given you a gift of salvation, that means that no matter what, you fate is sealed in heaven. Your name is written in the lamb’s book of life if you have accepted Christ! David said my trust is in the Lord, what can man do to me? Paul said it this way in Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for good for those that know the Lord and those that are called according to His purpose.” God uses everything you go through, to change you to shape you into His Son Jesus. He has give you a gift of salvation through His son that nothing can take away; Romans 8:35; “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You can have a constant attitude of gratitude in spite of your circumstances. As long as we focus on these things you have received and heard and the God of peace will be with you!

Altar Call:
But all those benefits are for the believer. For those that know the Lord, for those that have put their trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. My friend if you don’t have Jesus in your life its understandable that you may feel that you have nothing to be thankful for. Because without Christ in your life and in your heart you are facing life’s difficulties without Him on earth and you will be separated from Him after you die. And unlike many of us here today when you die, you will not be in paradise but you will be in torment a place reserved for the devil. Well you may say, it can’t be as worse as what im going through now, believe me, its worse than you can imagine. The bible says it’s a place of constant torment, pain and suffering. A place you will be in for eternity. But the story doesn’t end there my friend; you can live a victorious life here on earth and for eternity if you simply place your trust in Jesus Christ. Gods love and power is available to you immediately if you do three simple things;


To have a relationship with God is very simple;

Admit that you are a sinner; we all have sinned against God.
Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for your sins and that He rose and went back to Heaven to intercede for you. Believe that if you call on the name of the Lord you will be saved and will be given eternal life to reign with Him.
Confess your sins to God. Admit you are a sinner. Ask Jesus to come into your heart and live in you and through you.

Say this prayer: Lord Jesus, I admit im a sinner. I have sinned before you. I believe you are the Son of God and that you came to earth, lived among us and died on a cross. Lord I believe that your death was payment for my sins and that by your blood I am forgiven and forever a child of God. Jesus, come into my heart and live in me and through me so that I may accomplish your will for my life. Satan, I renounce you! I will not serve you anymore, Holy Spirit, please also come into my heart!

That’s it!

My friend if you have said that little prayer you now have unlimited power at your finger tips! You have Christ living on the inside of you and there is nothing you can not over come! You now have many things you can be thankful for in the midst of the challenges you will face. But most importantly you have the joy of your salvation that can never be taken away!