Gospel Thanksgiving

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:16‭-‬18 ESV

John Yun

It is one thing to feel gratitude, it is another to give thanks. One is a feeling. The other is an action. We may have trouble conjuring a feeling. But we can pursue the act of giving thanks. How often is our gratitude directed towards God? How do we give thanks to God?

Pray. Do not confuse it with mediation. Prayer is a conversation. We are not to simply consider what we should be thankful for. We should talk to God about what God has given to us.

How much of our prayer life is asking for things? Do we acknowledge what God has done for us? Do we meet God with a humble heart before it's savior? If our prayer life is only about asking God to give us this, to help us out of this situation, to get us... then something's missing.

We should thank God unceasingly. For every good thing God brings into our lives. If we counted all the things God brings, then we would be praying endlessly. This doesn't mean we have our heads bowed and eyes closed all day. But it is a conscious turning towards God. A God-consciousness. Knowing that God is always present and always involved in our lives.

Why is it so difficult to feel grateful? Children are taught to say thank you, even if they don't feel it. It is the polite thing to do. So it is with the children of God. We don't feel gratitude towards God. This is often a symptom of pride. We don't want to acknowledge that God deserves credit. A proud person feels they deserve a good life. It is a sense of entitlement. The key to deep gratitude is humility. "Every good and perfect gift comes from above..." Every good thing that comes is grace from God. It isn't something we can produce ourselves.

When a child receives a gift for their birthday or Christmas, they jump up and down in joy. They did not and could not have earned that gift. They receive with unbridled joy.

Another reason that we are ungrateful is because we are forgetful and blind. We forget what God has done as soon as he's answered our prayers. We only ask and ask and ask without reflecting on how God has answered our prayers. We don't see how God has been at work...

Finally, the last barrier to thankfulness is anxiety and idolatry. An anxious heart is rooted in feeling that God either doesn't care or will not provide. An idolatrous heart is searching for anything and everything to satisfy except God. Instead of keeping God front and center, we seek satisfaction in other things. We don't think God can or will satisfy.

How do we give thanks when we have all these things going wrong in our lives? Family troubles, relationship problems, trials, struggles at work, health issues... We can always give thanks in Christ. We have a Savior who suffered and knows our troubles intimately.

Gospel Spreading

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.- Acts 11:19‭-‬26 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

Every member is on mission (witnessing is priority!)

A great persecution had broken out in Jerusalem. This caused believers to spread out and preach the gospel as they went. Who spearheaded this massive spreading of the Gospel? The disciples were still in Jerusalem. It was the everyday believer. They lived their lives with gospel intention. They didn't want to leave Jerusalem. But even so, they witnessed about Jesus wherever they found themselves.

Perhaps that is you. You find yourself in Philly. But that wasn't what you wanted/planned. You're at a job or school that you're not crazy about. You are living in a neighborhood that you don't really like. But maybe that's where God wants you. He wants you to witness to that supervisor. He wants you to engage that neighbor. He desires that you help at your local school. Are you faithful to the call to make disciples in your current situation/circumstance?

Believers engaged everyone

The church at Antioch reached out to not just Jews, but the Hellenists as well. The church at this time usually reached out to the Jews. But Antioch was very diverse, if somewhat segregated, so we find that the gospel was shared with these wild pagans. What interest could they have in the God of the Jews? It was unbelievable. This is the first place where they were called Christians. Why? Because it was a diverse ethnic group. It was not just Jews, not just Indians, etc.

It is very similar to Philly. This city is so diverse, but also so segregated. Diversity is difficult. It is hard to be in community with those who are different from us. But this is what the church should look like. People of different ethnic, socio-economic status, political affiliation... making up the same church.

And the hand of the Lord was with them

It was the hand of God opening the hearts of people. It was God working through them. All these things cannot come about by our hard work alone. We need God. So we must pray for convicted hearts, kingdom growth, and wisdom & desire to love our neighbors.