Series: Shaping Church Culture

Theme: Thankful Hearts

Sermon date: September 22^nd Harvest

Note for leaders: The focus of this sermon series is the themes, we would like you to develop the theme as a group. We believe it is important to share about this and to work on this together.
 
Shaping Church Culture

we continue with our new series on shaping Church culture. Church culture is something we build and create together, we want to intentionally build a healthy and loving culture, where we welcome and encourage everyone. The Oxford dictionary defines culture as “the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society or the attitudes and behaviour characteristic of a particular social group”. We want God to breathe into and transform our ideas, customs, behaviour and attitudes to be full of his fruit and plans.  

The driving verse for this series is: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Icebreaker
What have you been thankful for this past week, this past month, this past year?
How easy do you find it to be thankful or do find that you find it easier to complain?!
Is there a danger that we become complacent and used to all that we have and have been blessed with?
How might we change this culture of a sense of entitlement?

Psalm 107 v. 1
‘Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures for ever’

Study
Please read together: 1 Thessalonians 5 v. 16-19
I wonder what your first reaction to these verses is.

Q.1 how hard is it for us to give thanks in all circumstances?
As the first three words suggest ‘rejoicing is a choice’ some bible translations say ‘be joyful’ The Greek is ‘Chairo’ refers to the uplifting, ongoing, cheerfulness of the Christian. So to rejoice always, is the best way of describing what Paul is trying to convey to the church in Thessalonica.  

Q.2 Do you find it easy to ‘rejoice’? How else might you describe your feelings?

Q.3 In the light of our current national and world situations, what keeps you grounded and strong in your faith? (Don’t spend too much time on this, draw the group back to the study!)
Some background is helpful, if we are to fully understand what Paul is teaching through this reading today.

Verses 16-18 contain the following admonitions: rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all things. These imperatives convey a human response toward God, recognition that God is the source of our joy and thanksgiving. While the exhortations to rejoice, pray, and give thanks are common in Paul’s letters, they take on new life when one considers that the church in Thessalonica has been grieving over the death of some of its members. In chapters 4-5 Paul reminds them of the power of the gospel. This is a God who has conquered death and will not neglect the believers who have already died. God will raise them from the dead just as God raised Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The gospel provides the very basis for rejoicing and thanksgiving, even in the midst of grief.

This is where we need to consider how we have matured as Christians on our individual journeys of faith? Have we invested in time to pray, gone a quiet day, attended a seminar, develop our relationship with God. If not then we may find that we are blown about by everything and everyone in our lives. Our inner life is vital if we are to come to a place of rejoicing.

These two verses 16-18, help us with the principles for our ‘inner life’

For to be ‘in Christ Jesus’ is vital if we are to live our lives for God and with God. Without being in union with Him through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, we will never be able to accept or obey these verses. We are placed in Union with Christ the moment we trust and accept Him.

As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1 v. 30 ‘It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. That is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption’

Q.4 how do you see your ‘inner life’ the deep places where God dwells and that you don’t speak about?

Q.5 Do these two passages from scripture help you to explore further your ‘life with Christ’?

Application
It would be good to ask yourselves in the group how you will apply this to your lives? Here are three aspects of thanksgiving:
Discuss the points 1-3, before sharing in what is written, what do your group say?

1. Prayer is our way of communicating with God, it is the language of trusting in the Lord; without it we can’t do life in him.
2. Prayer is not only sending up arrow prayers every day, it says in Nehemiah that he ‘shot up silent prayers to God, before he spoke to the King in Nehemiah 2 v. 4-5. It is also about spending time alone with God, not only interceding but listening, be creative and reflecting on what you sense God is calling you to. Jesus models this beautifully to us in Matthew 14 v. 23 ‘Jesus went up on the mountain by himself to pray, when evening came, he was there alone’
3. Keep seeking, God seeks us far more than we seek him, knock until the door is opened fully Luke 11 v. 9-10.

1. Deepen your understanding of God’s goodness, don’t rely on your own knowledge, seek out places where you can learn and grow. God’s goodness is the key to a thankful heart.
2. Thankfulness will be our habit if we trust God fully. Thankfulness and trust are bound together, if you are not trusting, you may not be as thankful.
3. However, there is a place for challenge, lamentation and questioning. God has given us minds to ask and to discern, we must seek wisdom as we do this and ask ultimately, am I being thankful and honest with God and myself. (Proverbs 8)  
    

Some final questions if you feel you want to probe deeper might be:

Q. 9 where is the balance between not denying our feelings and yet not living by feelings?

Q 10 do you agree or disagree with this: Whatever our personality, every Christian, can consistently experience God’s joy?

Q. 11 where does depression fit into being always thankful/full of joy?

Q. 12 what has most helped you to grow in prayer and thankfulness?

Prayer
You might like to sing a song of praise as you come faithfully to God in prayer, then suggest to your group that you go around the circle and each person thanks God for something specific. Encourage everyone to take part, to say just one word if they find it hard.
It would be good to not only make these prayers about ourselves but also to include others. Give thanks for our world, our country, our community, our church and then for each other. Try not to intercede but give thanks in all things.
Prayer doesn’t always have to be interceding, praise and thanksgiving are vital if we are to create a culture of thankfulness.
Then close by sharing the peace together

Leader: the peace of the Lord be always with you

All: and also with you
Amen
Sharon Seal