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Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Benjamin Ng

Be Thankful for Trials

I pray that as this day goes by, You know, sometimes it takes a day for us to be thankful, doesn't it?

But yet, as Christians, we ought to be in a thanksgiving mood every day.

I'd like for you to come with me in your Bible this morning to our scripture text in 1 Thessalonians.

You know, the Bible tells us that we ought always to thank the Lord.

I think that's something that we all know, that we all ought to do.

But yet this Thanksgiving spirit goes beyond just raising your endorphins, It goes beyond just standing up and praising the Lord in church when there's this Thanksgiving time.

Before we read this Bible text, let's bow our heads once more for a word of prayer.

Father in heaven, Lord, we are so thankful for life.

Thank you, Lord, for the Sabbath as well.

And Father, as we open your word this morning to study, bless us with wisdom and understanding, And most of all, help us to learn the lesson that you want us to learn from these scriptures that we're about to read.

May you send the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and our guide is our prayer in Jesus' name.

1 Thessalonians chapter 5 is where our scripture reading is going to be found.

The Bible says, In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

The Bible tells us that in everything that happens to us in our life, regardless of age, circumstance, or situation, we ought to give thanks.

But there's 1 thing that I'd like to point out, that we need to be careful in saying in everything that we ought to give thanks.

You see, because sometimes in our foolishness, calamity comes upon us.

That God would not want to be there, but yet it comes because of the decision that we make.

But I believe that out of all the circumstances that have happened to us that are out of our control.

Was it because of the decisions of Job that calamity came upon him?

Those situations were out of his control.

And it's within this thought that I would like to give you this message this morning.

That In every situation that is out of our control, that God allows to come into our lives, we ought to give thanks.

And I know that in our lives, there's not 1 person here that has not been touched with tribulation, trial, sorrow, or such things that would make the heart heavy.

But yet the Bible tells us in everything, give thanks.

Now if you just go back 2 chapters to chapter 4, pardon me, just 1 chapter 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, you see in our scripture reading it says, for this is the will of God concerning you, then it says in chapter 4 verse 3 this is the will of God, even our what?

Now we've looked at this text before, what does sanctification mean again?

To be set apart for a holy use, or really what this word is used in relation to is holy living.

So friends, as we look at giving thanks, somehow giving thanks in every situation has got a large part to deal with our sanctification experience or leading a holy life.

And so it is a lesson that we need to learn today.

And what better time to talk about Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving day or Thanksgiving weekend.

But if you were to cast your minds back 1 year, have you been thankful in every situation that God has brought upon you this past year?

And if you haven't, can you look back and say God has led?

And even then if you can't see that, can you still be thankful?

Sometimes, Lord, I don't know why this situation comes upon me.

But you told me, all things work together for what?

Even in times of distress, discouragement, disappointments, tribulations and trials.

But giving thanks is not something that comes naturally.

Not many people wake up and say, Lord, thank you for waking me up.

Usually when I was a young kid, we would give thanks.

And your degree of thankfulness is dependent upon the gift that you receive.

Some people receive a gift and they go, oh, thanks.

Others go, wow, thanks, that's exactly what I wanted.

Our thankfulness is dependent upon the gift that we receive and the understanding of the knowledge, number 1, sometimes the effort it took to get that gift, the value of the gift, and most of all, its relevance to you.

What it took for that person to give you this gift.

For example, that woman that was sitting by Jesus' feet, washing his feet with her hair, and she broke open an alabaster box, and it filled the room with this scent, this perfume.

So first, thankfulness is dependent upon your understanding of what it took to get that gift.

So, for example, if you're a male and you get a dress, would you be thankful?

So secondly, your thankfulness is dependent upon its relevance to you.

And thirdly, understanding that value of that gift itself.

If you were to give me a diamond, Lego, I would have chosen Lego.

You see, as little children, we don't understand in terms of gifts, its value.

You give me Lego, I'll throw it around, break it.

Give me a diamond, I'll throw it around, break it.

But as we get older, the gift becomes more important.

See friends, what I'm trying to emphasize here is the mind.

When it comes to the gift that we receive, We need to understand these 3 things in order for us to be thankful.

Now, my question is, do you understand the gift of Jesus Christ?

Do you understand what it took for that person to give you that gift?

And thirdly, Do you see its relevance to you?

It's very easy to praise the Lord in times of prosperity.

But it's in time of trials where this verse, 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 18 Really rings out loud in everything give thanks Why does God allow trials to come our way I've been recently reading a book by Dr.

Samuel Pippin, Patience in the Midst of Trials and Afflictions.

What is the purpose of trials, especially as us as Christians that believe in God, that go through trials, we ought to see the gift that is in there.

I'm obviously not looking at happy situations because it is always easy to be thankful in such situations.

But friends, I want to look at trials this morning and it's relevant to us and the gift that presents itself through trials and how we can be thankful when we're going through down situations and low situations in our life.

I just came across a quote this morning that I want to share with you before we read this text.

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Be Thankful for Trials

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