Where God Wants us to Be

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1 Thessalonians 5:16-28

Where God Wants Us to Be

V23-24 – Paul is confident that the Thessalonians will be completely sanctified. This is where God wants to get us as well, complete sanctification and blamelessness.

Paul is asking God to continue to change the people in the Thessalonian church. Paul is also asking that God would preserve them and keep them blameless until the Lord returns.

He who calls you is faithful.

1. God’s intention is for us to be completely holy. Ephesians 5 talks about his goal for the church – that she may be holy and without blemish.
2. We need to be saying yes to God. The shepherd is leading the sheep, he is calling us not “dragging us along.” God is calling, let us say “yes.”
3. Paul isn’t talking about people reaching a place of flawless ness where they haven’t sinned for years. Rather that they would reach a place where their lives are fully surrendered to Christ.
4. Blameless – walking with Jesus. The closer we walk with Jesus the more blameless we will be. When we do sin we recognize it and bring it to Christ and the cross.

What We Need to Do on the Journey

V16-22 – Some things that we are to be doing on the way.

Paul says we are to praying without ceasing. There are two ways for us to apply this admonition. We can look at our prayer life and recognize that “I should be praying more often.” Perhaps we should think about it as “is prayer something that characterizes your life is it part of who you are?” Praying should be a part of your life, something that you just “do” regularly.

Pray even if you don’t feel like it. Pray even if it seems like nothing is “happening.” Pray for your church. Pray for the lost. Pray for complete sanctification.

Say “yes” to the Spirit, do not quench the Spirit. If you are being moved by the Spirit then move. Test what the Spirit but be ready and willing and moving. When the Spirit says we should (or shouldn’t) we should obey it. It is like a voice that the more we say no to gets quieter and quieter. Make a practice of saying yes to the Spirit. The more you say yes to the Spirit the more clearly you will hear it.

Hold fast to what is good, abstain from those things that are evil. Hold fast means to have a good grasp, not just holding on by a thread but taking steps to sure up the connection that we have with the Father.

Give thanks in all circumstances. In every circumstance, if we are a child of God we can find some reason to thank God. Why is it Gods will that we always be giving thanks?

1. God appreciates being thanked.
2. God is aware of the cost of what all He has given us.
3. God receives honor when we give Him thanks.
4. Psalm 105:1 – Giving thanks is a powerful testimony to those around us.
5. Philippians 4:6-7 – It is spiritually healthy to thank God, it takes the focus off of us and puts it on the one who gives us so much and who is faithful.
6. Giving thanks reminds us of our dependence on God.