RejoiceAlways

1 Thessalonians 5:16  Rejoice always.  Paul counseled this persecuted church to rejoicealways. Paul had learned the secret of being joyful, even in the middle of great trial and suffering (verses quoted from niv):

•     Acts 16:25: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”

•     Romans 5:3: “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.”

•     2 Corinthians 6:4–10: “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.”

•     2 Corinthians 12:10: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

True joy transcends the rolling waves of circumstance. Joy comes from a consistent relationship with Jesus Christ. When believers’ lives are intertwined with Christ, he will help them to walk through adversity without sinking into debilitating lows and to manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs. The joy of living with Jesus Christ daily will keep believers rejoicing “always.” They can rejoice because of their sure salvation and their future hope. Nothing that happens on this earth can compare with the glory that awaits God’s people.

But believers are not required to con-jure up this joy, for the ability to rejoice has been given to them as a gift—one fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22; see also Romans 14:17).

REAL JOY – Our joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings. Obeying these three commands—

be joyful, pray continually, and give thanks—often goes against our natural inclinations. When we make a conscious decision to do what God says, however, we will begin to see people in a new perspective. When we do God’s will, we will find it easier to be joyful and thankful.

5:17        Pray without ceasing.  Paul did not expect believers to spend all their time on their knees or with their eyes closed when he said they should pray without ceasing. In fact, he was quite adamant that everyone had work to do (5:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:6–7, 11). It is possible, however, for believers to have a prayerful attitude at all times. This attitude is built upon acknowledging dependence on God, realizing his presence within, and determining to obey him fully. Then it will be natural to pray frequent, spontaneous, short prayers. … Believers should pray together in worship, spend time alone with God in prayer, and also pray to God throughout each day as the desire to rejoice or the need for help arises.

5:18        In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Notice that Paul did not say “for” everything give thanks, but in everything. Evil will happen to believers, and it does not come from God, so they should not thank him for it. But when evil strikes, they can still be thankful for God’s presence and for the good he will accomplish through the distress. Paul had learned that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 nlt). Usually God uses difficult times to build people’s character and strengthen their faith. It is easy to give thanks for the blessings; it is more difficult to give thanks for the blessings in disguise. By far the most difficult task is to give thanks ineverything—even the situations that make no sense or are extremely painful. Yet this difficult task has been assigned to all believers for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Learning to give thanks in everything means learning to trust God completely, knowing that he is in charge, and understanding that all that happens is part of a larger picture that believers may not see. When a believer can give thanks so willingly, he or she has trusted that God is completely in control of all situations and is working out his will.

Following are ‘conversational’ excerpts that speak on various verses from 1 Thessalonians 5:

V. 5:3 – WE HAVE WORK TO DO

It is good that we don’t know exactly when Christ will return. If we knew the precise date, we might be tempted to be lazy in our work for Christ. Worse yet, we might plan to keep sinning and then turn to God right at the end. Heaven is not our only goal; we have work to do here. Christians must keep on doing God’s work until death or until we see the unmistakable return of our Savior.

V. 5:5 – GET READY

Paul warned Christians not to be surprised by Christ’s return. The only way for believers not to be surprised is to be morally ready and spiritually vigilant at all times (see 5:6–8). Knowing that Christ’s return will be sudden and unexpected should motivate us to always be prepared. We are not to live irresponsibly—sitting and waiting, doing nothing, seeking self-serving pleasure, or using the time until he returns as an excuse not to do God’s work of building his kingdom. No one should develop a false sense of security based on precise calculations of events or let their curiosity about the end times divert them from doing God’s work. Are you working, serving, and waiting?

V. 5:10 – ENCOURAGING WORDS

As you near the end of a long race, your legs ache, your throat burns, and your whole body cries out for you to stop. This is when friends and fans are most valuable. Their encouragement helps you push through the pain to the finish line. In the same way, Christians are to encourage one another. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can mean the difference between finishing well and collapsing along the way. Look around you. Be sensitive to others’ need for encouragement, and offer supportive words or actions.

V. 5:12 – STRONG SUPPORT

Paul instructed the church to honor its leaders. Faithful church leaders should be supported and appreciated. Too often they are targets for criticism because the congregation has unrealistic expectations. How do you treat your church leaders? Do you enjoy finding fault, or do you show your appreciation? Do they receive enough financial support to allow them to live without worry and to provide for the needs of their families? Jesus and Paul emphasized the importance of supporting those who lead and teach us.

How can you show respect to and hold in the “highest regard” your pastor and other church leaders? Express your appreciation, tell them how you have been helped by their leadership and teaching, and thank them for their ministry in your life. If you say nothing, how will they know where you stand? Remember, they need and deserve your support and love.

V. 5:20 – TEST TIME
We shouldn’t make fun of those who don’t agree with what we believe (“treat prophecies with contempt”), but we should always “test everything,” checking people’s words against the Bible, just as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11. We will be on dangerous ground if we scoff at a person who speaks the truth. Instead, we should carefully check out what people say, accepting what is true and rejecting what is false.

However, neither should we believe everything we read or hear. Unfortunately, many ideas printed and taught are not true. Christians should have faith, but we should not be gullible. Verify every message you hear, even if the person who brings it says it’s from God. If the message is truly from God, it will be consistent with Christ’s teachings.

V. 5:28 – CONTINUE IN THE FAITH

The Thessalonian church was young, and its members needed help and encouragement. Both the persecution they faced and the temptations of their pagan culture were potential problems for these new Christians. Paul wrote, therefore, to strengthen their faith and bolster their resistance to persecution and temptation. We, too, have a responsibility to help new believers and to make sure that they continue in their faith and don’t become sidetracked by wrong beliefs or practices. First Thessalonians can better equip us to help our brothers and sisters in Christ.

The above material was extracted from:  Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). 1 & 2 Thessalonians: life application commentary (p. 77). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.