“Elevate: Lifting Up Thanksgiving to Open Up New Horizons”

SERMON Title: Elevate: Lifting Up Thanksgiving to Open Up New Horizons
SCRIPTURE: 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

Introduction

I remember being told in my earlier days by various people about being thankful. Being thankful is easy to do when things are going smoothly, things are going well, you see results and achievements, money is good, relationships, and marriage is good, and you’re feeling good, even better happy. But what if it’s not? I would then hear people say things like you still have to give thanks to God for the bad stuff too. If you say thanks first the rest will follow. Or something out of the Sound of Music – when God closes a door he opens a window – and I’m thinking well the window better be bigger than the door. Or I would get the biblical answer quoted to me from today’s passage that we have to, we must be thankful because that’s the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. And what the heck does that even mean? But I tried to understand it and tried to live it as well. However, as I tried to live up to God’s command or try to live it down. I found myself reaching a breaking point where I lash out in anger and bitterness, especially against God.

I had many honest feelings and questions about be thankful in all circumstances - How can I be thankful when I don’t feel thankful? How can I be thankful if the last thing on my mind is being thankful. And why is being thankful the will of God? How is being thankful the will of God. And what good is all that when I don’t feel thankful and I’m hurting inside? How do I reconcile my feelings with this command? Am I to count my blessings and look for the things that I should be grateful for? But what if those things are gone? What then?

Context

Thessalonians is a letter Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica—a church he and Timothy helped plant (Acts 17). Thessalonica, which is in modern-day northern Greece, was a tough place to live as a Christian. The city was fiercely loyal to Rome, filled with pagan worship, and even practiced emperor worship—treating the Roman emperor as a god. So for believers, faith came at a cost. They faced pressure and persecution from every side—Jews, Gentiles, and the culture around them.

In that environment, many believers were struggling with questions: When is Jesus coming back? What about the ones who already died or were killed before He returns? They were confused, afraid, and weary. And honestly, who wouldn’t be? This background helps us see that Paul’s call to “give thanks in all circumstances” wasn’t written to people living comfortably—it was spoken to people under pressure, people who knew hardship. It reminds us that thankfulness isn’t just a nice idea—it’s at the very core of what it means to follow Jesus. In other words, today’s passage is God’s answer to believers who live in these kinds of situations.

The Key - “in”

The key to understanding what it means to be thankful is found in one small word — the preposition “in.” Every single word in Scripture matters. Every preposition, every conjunction — none of them are accidental. And this little word “in” changes everything. Paul doesn’t tell us to be thankful for our troubles and suffering, but to be thankful in them. That’s a big difference. It means our gratitude isn’t dependent on what’s happening around us. Our thankfulness isn’t tied to our pain or our circumstances — it stands apart from them.

How Do We Do That?

Thankfully, when we read Scripture in context, the Lord always gives us an answer. The key is found just before verse 18 — in verses 16 and 17: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing.” This is where it begins. In fact, you can’t truly be thankful without rejoicing and praying. These three — rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks — belong together. They’re a package deal, not sold separately.

Rejoicing reminds us that no solution is found in this world, but in God who is greater. It anchors our hope in Him alone. Rejoicing means remembering who God is, what He has done, and what He continues to do for you today. It reminds you that God sees you in your circumstances. You rejoice in your relationship with Christ.

Praying keeps your direction fixed on God, keeping your eyes on Him no matter how chaotic life feels. It opens your heart toward Him so that you can see God in your circumstances.

Thanksgiving allows you to experience the power of God that is greater than your troubles. It opens new horizons in your walk of faith.

But let’s be honest — these instructions sound impossible. Rejoice always? Pray without ceasing? How do we even do that? The challenge comes because we often have a narrow idea of what rejoicing or prayer looks like. Yet these can take many forms — not just words, songs, or even groans. Romans 8:26 says: “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Sometimes your prayers are found in your breath, your sweat, your tears, your art, or your silence. I know a sister who paints as her prayer. Each stroke of the brush is her way of speaking to God when words fail. For me, it’s walking — choosing one direction and walking until I can’t walk anymore, letting my thoughts settle as I focus on God. And sometimes, all you can say is, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.” And even your silence becomes your prayer.

When we neglect thankfulness — when we stop rejoicing and praying — Scripture warns us what happens next: “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thess. 5:19). Failing to give thanks is like pouring water over the campfire God lit in your soul — a fire meant to give warmth, comfort, and light in the wilderness of life. But when you walk in obedience, when you live in thanksgiving, you keep that flame alive. You begin to experience the Holy Spirit’s power and see new realities unfold in your faith — the realities Paul describes as being “in Christ Jesus.”

What Are These New Realities in Christ Jesus?

1. The Peace of Jesus Christ – Philippians 4:6–7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Thankfulness is rebellion — a holy rebellion against anxiety, fear, and despair. It’s our act of resistance against hopelessness and the lies of the enemy that cause us to doubt God’s goodness. Through thankfulness, we experience the peace that surpasses understanding — the peace that let Stephen look to heaven and pray for those who were killing him. The peace that allows us to walk through the valley of the shadow of death without fear. This is not worldly peace based on comfort, but divine peace that guards your heart and mind because Jesus reigns there as Lord.

2. Spiritual Maturity in Jesus Christ – James 1:2–3 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

Spiritual maturity begins with thankfulness. It aligns your mind, heart, words, and actions with God’s will. It opens your eyes to see how God is working, helping you discern His hand even in the chaos. It builds endurance, patience, consistency, and faithfulness when life gets hard. Thankfulness becomes the soil where the fruit of the Spirit grows.

3. A Deeper Relationship with Jesus Christ

At the Last Supper, right before His crucifixion, Jesus gave thanks for the bread and the cup — symbols of His own suffering and sacrifice. Thanksgiving preceded His greatest act of love. When we walk in thanksgiving, we enter that same rhythm of grace — where death leads to life, and suffering leads to redemption. It’s through this relationship that we experience the very presence of God. That’s what makes Christian worship different from every other kind of worship — it’s not just music or ritual. It’s heaven touching earth, because God is with us.

4. Testimony in Jesus Christ – Romans 8:28 “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

God transforms your suffering into testimony. Your life no longer reads as a story of pain but as a witness of God’s redemption. You become a mirror reflecting the light of Christ into the darkness of this world. You become a fountain of living water for those who are spiritually thirsty. Through you, God shows the world that He is good.

5. Reconciliation of Our Feelings in Christ Jesus – Philippians 4:11 “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

God does not dismiss your feelings — He honours them. He even gave us the Psalms to show that He welcomes our raw emotions. But He also calls us to walk in obedience first, trusting that our feelings will follow. As we obey, our hearts are healed, our minds are renewed, and we begin to experience a deep, abiding joy that only God can give. We learn that His grace truly is enough.

Conclusion – Carrying Your Cross (Luke 9:23) “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.”

Giving thanks in all circumstances is what it means to carry your cross and follow Jesus. It’s not just something we do — it’s who we are. Thankfulness keeps us walking when life gets heavy. Rejoicing and prayer keep our eyes fixed on Christ. It’s what enabled Paul and Silas to sing in prison after being beaten unjustly — because their chains couldn’t bind their spirits. It’s what enables fathers and mothers to be pillars of faith in their homes, declaring like Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” It’s what enables us to love and forgive like Jesus — even when we’ve been wronged — because His Spirit empowers us.

So whatever circumstance you are in right now — May your anger not remain as anger. May your grief not remain as grief. May your suffering not remain silent. Let them all be transformed by the Holy Spirit into new life — lifted up to the Lord in prayer, in rejoicing, and in thanksgiving. For we serve a God who listens, who carries our cross with us, and who turns our pain into praise. So lift your head, rise up, and carry your cross again with joy and gratitude. That is the will of God for His people — and that is how we glorify the Lord. It’s our confession to God: “Not my will, but Yours be done. Your grace is more than enough for me.” Following Jesus means walking in obedience — and today, that obedience begins with thanksgiving.

Reflection

Have you let your faith grow cold? Have you let suffering breed resentment or self-pity? Has the victory of the cross started to feel like defeat? Have you wondered where God is in your pain? Have you sought hope in this world instead of in the goodness and justice of God?

Today, may your heart posture be one of thanksgiving — even in your circumstances. May it lead you back to worship, where you encounter the God who knows your struggles, feels your pain, and transforms your life through His Spirit.

Lord, equip us with a heart of thanksgiving — not because our struggles are easy, but because Christ lives in us, giving us the strength to endure what we cannot bear alone. Help us carry our cross and follow You. Amen.