GIVING THANKS ALL TIME

Ephesians 5:15-20

By Evangelist Bob Thrower

Introduction: What is the most difficult commandment to keep? Some portions of Holy Scripture are harder to keep than others. What portion do you have trouble with and need more help with than others?

You might say, "Bob, I fret, I worry about everything and I know that isn’t good." The bible says, "Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious at the wicked." Proverbs 24:19

Here is what I believe to be the most difficult commandment to keep. A command that I think many of us over looks each day. Lets remember that there are many commandments in the Bible other than the Ten Commandments. I love the commandments of God written with His own finger and through the years, I have had very little trouble obeying and loving the law of God.

But here is my greatest challenge, my most difficult passage of Scripture, a Scripture that I think we overlook, a Scripture that I think most of us if not all of us have a hard time with.

Now, the good news about Ephesians 5:20 is found in obeying his command. You see in keeping this command, our attitude will be changed for the better, our personality will be improved for good and our performance will be greater. Obeying this command, "Giving thanks always" is a tremendous step in helping us to develop our character. We will just be better Christians. We will be happy! We will have peace of mind. Why? Because, we will be doing the will of God.

In my lifetime, I’ve noticed four levels of people, four divisions of people.

1. There is the level of GRUMBLING and COMPLAINING. Those in this group, the people who live on this level never see anything good. They always see the bad in any person and in all things. They never see anything good in any event on any occasion. They see the bad, but seem to never see the good. Have you ever thought what it would be like if we could get all these people on a large island, all by themselves and the quarantining it? They could complain and grumble among themselves.
2. Then there is the level of NEUTRAL FEELINGS. No praise and no thanking. These dear people belong to neither side. They don’t complain, but they never praise God and give thanks to God. They are neutral. They just idly stand by and observe things.
3. The third level is the group that gives God praise and thanksgiving once in a while. They give thanks to God when things are going good. Let providence turn things around for the worst, let things go wrong and these dear people will forget the goodness and blessings of God in the past.
4. This fourth level, the fourth group is what I want our church family to be in. This group is always giving thanks to God for all things. They understand that everything is for a reason and a purpose.

I want us to look at three things in our Scripture text. 1). The Season of Thanksgiving,

2.) The Scope of Thanksgiving and 3.) The Secret of Thanksgiving.

 

1. The Season of Thanksgiving! Verse 20

    

   Giving thanks has no off season. It is a continued ongoing disposition. It is an act of a grateful heart.

   1. Gratitude and Grace go together!
   2. Think and Thank together!

Thanksgiving Day: One each year is not enough! Why? Not enough time and we could not hold in memory all of God’s Blessings. One day, on week, one month, all these are good, but not obeying the COMMANDMENT!

A little boys definition of salt was, "Salt is what spoils the potato when it is left out. My friends, Gratitude is what spoils the life when it is left out.

We must find the time and the way to THANK GOD IN ALL SEASONS! Why? Because His blessing come daily.

Psalm 68:19 – Blessed be the Lord, who DAILY loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah."

Think about it, God’s Blessings Are Daily!

Tell me, did you thank God today for the Cool Water? Did you know that India is one of the largest populated countries in the World and seventy-five percent of their water is unfit to drink?

1. We need to shove out all bad spirits and put in some of the AMENS.
2. We need to move away from complaining and grumbling. Let’s shove out these and bring in some happy spirits and a lot of Hallelujahs.

Now, let us tighten the focus a little!

The SEASON is all time and the Scope is for all things. Now, it’s easy to give thanks for some things, but the command is to! GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS.

The TAXman came to help a man work on his taxes. "What property do you have?" asked the taxman. Well said the dear man.

1. I have everlasting life. John 3:16
2. I have a mansion in heaven. John 14:2
3. I have the Holy Spirit to comfort me and guide me. John 16:7 and John 16:13.
4. I have a wonderful wife. Ephesians 5:25
5. I have peace of mind. John 16:33
6. I have wonderful children.
7. I have the promise of the Blessed Hope. Titus 2:13

The tax collector looked at the man and said, "you are a very wealthy man, but I can’t tax any of that."

1. He was a regular jailbird for Jesus Christ.
2. He fought with beasts at Ephesus
3. He was dragged out of the city of Lystra as dead
4. He suffered shipwreck at sea
5. He had been beaten with a rod – Acts 20:24
6. He had been scourged
7. A serpent bit him. Yet, he could say, "Giving thanks always for all things unto God." Ephesians 5:20.

Some of those hard things come to us for a purpose and reason. We may not see it now, we not even see it this side of the Kingdom, but God knows. Do you have anything that you did not receive from God?

1. Don’t thank God for SIN!
2. Don’t look upon all things at this present time to be for your good. All things are working toward or forward for your good.

As a child I remember my Mom heating up the iron on the old fireplace and then taking all the clothes that were wadded up and damp and running that iron over them. I asked her what she was doing and she replied she was ironing out all the wrinkles.

Friends, we need to remember that when we go through the rough spots in life, God is ironing out our wrinkles, He is pruning us for the harvest.

Lets look at Romans 8:28 – "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Friends, look at Job. Job lost everything, he had only 3 things remaining, 1) His life 2) His God and 3) His Religion.

1. THE SECRET OF THANKSGIVING!

What is the KEY giving THANKS always for all things? Here it is in Ephesians 5:17-18. 

1. Understanding the Will of God.
2. Not to be drunk with wine.
3. Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
4. Be filled with the Word of God

Let’s look at VERSE 20 again.

1. Giving thanks unto God, the Father.
2. In the Spirit.
3. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is a good lesson for us in the miracle of the LOAVES AND FISHES! Jesus gave THANKS to the Heavenly Father. Giving thanks is mentioned twice. John 6:11, 23. Here is the lesson, "Instead of complaining about what we do not have, we should give thanks to God for what we do have, and He will Make it go farther."

Keep in Mind that Paul was a PRISONER when he wrote these words in Ephesians.

Someone defined the home as, "the place where we are treated the best and complain the most."

Look at the words Gratitude and Grace, both have the same root, or Thank and think.

We could all be blest in our lives if we will remember the words to a song entitled "Give Thanks"