“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

I am a simple man. I like clarity. I appreciate it when the Bible doesn’t beat around the bush and just comes out straight and tells me what God’s will is.

That’s why I love our text. It just simply tells us “this is God’s will for you.”

So what is God’s will for us?
1. Rejoice always
2. Pray continually
3. Give thanks in all circumstances

Pay attention to these words: “always,” “continually,” and “all circumstances.” That’s pretty comprehensive.

This is God’s will for you and me. Since this is God’s will we ought to do what God is telling us to do.

The key to rejoicing always and giving thanks in all circumstances is in praying continually.

We are to pray without ceasing. There are different ways to pray and different types of prayers. One of the ways that God calls us to pray is to constantly be in conversation with God. Just like very few of us like to go anywhere without our smartphones these days, God is saying, remember that I am with you always.

Keep talking to God throughout the day as if God we’re with you…because he is. When we become aware of God’s presence with us at all times, we will find ourselves rejoicing always and giving thanks in all circumstances because God is with us. There is never a time or place or circumstance in which God is absent.

This is God’s will for you. Rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances by praying continually.

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28).

Jesus proclaims…
Jesus declares…
Jesus teaches…
Jesus announces…

Yup. That’s in the gospels. That’s in the Bible.

Jesus invites us to receive him as Lord…

Nope. Not once in the Bible.

R. C. Sproul wrote, “God doesn’t invite people to come to Jesus. He commands it with divine authority and convicts you of treason on a cosmic level if you refuse.”

Wowsers!

The language of invitation is so much more friendly, it’s nicer. But it’s misleading. Invitations can be perceived as I can take it or leave it.

But, that’s not the case with Jesus. Jesus ushers in the Kingdom of God and proclaims that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus proclaims, declares, teaches, and announces the pathway to God’s Kingdom. Should we reject, what awaits those who have rejected Jesus is judgment.

R. C. Sproul is correct. When the time of judgment comes, it will have nothing to do with having done more good things vs. bad things. It will have nothing to do with how nice we were. It will have everything to do with what we did with the Kingdom Jesus proclaimed.

Jesus loves you. Jesus died for you. Jesus rose again from the dead for you. Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Live as Kingdom people.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Revelation 3:20).

The verse of the day is a well known verse amongst church going folk, and the painting that we think of is the one above. There are several things to note about the verse and the painting:

1. Jesus is standing at the door and he wants to come in
2. Jesus wants to come in so that he can fellowship with those inside
3. Jesus is knocking
4. There is no door knob. The only way this door can be opened is from the inside

The verse is often used to invite non-Christians to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. And, it can be used that way because Jesus loves non-Christians too, but that’s not the context of this passage. The people inside that this passage is referring to are the Christians at Laodicea. Jesus is knocking on the door asking the people of the church of Laodicea to let him in.

Just because there is a cross or a steeple or it says such and such church does not necessarily mean that Jesus is present there. There are contexts in where the church gathers but Jesus is absent because the church isn’t gathered because of Jesus. The church has her own agendas other than the agenda of Jesus. When that happens, Jesus is on the outside knocking on the door.

The church exists because Jesus has given the church a mission. That mission is to make disciples and grow disciples who share the love of Jesus with all people. When the church is about anything other than this mission, Jesus is standing on the outside wanting to be let in.

The Little Church on the Prairie and Lakewoodgrace exists for one purpose, and one purpose only – to Make Disciples and Grow Disciples who Share the love of Jesus with all people.

Keep the main thing the main thing.