God Wants You to Be Joyful, Thankful, and Faithful

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.

23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

God Wants You to be Joyful, Thankful, and Faithful        

Every year Gallup Inc., the American-based research and consulting company, publishes an assessment of mental health in America. It’s a fact-based and insightful way to get a finger on the pulse of how people are feeling. [1] How do you suppose our collective mental health has fared these last 12 months? Spoiler alert: it’s in the can.

Nearly every statistical category demonstrated a sizeable decline in people who feel in excellent mental health. Let me translate: this may not mean that every person you meet is suffering from crippling depression (although that is on the rise); it does mean that more and more people don’t feel quite right.

Maybe you’re one of them. Maybe this year has seen you more blue than you’ve ever felt before. Maybe you’ve discovered anxieties you never thought you’d have. You’re not eating. You’re not finding enjoyment in the things you used to. Maybe, if you weren’t feeling depressed before this, seeing these numbers is getting you closer.

Well, have no fear. We read the answer to your mental health woes in our First Lesson for today. It’s just 2 words long! All Paul says is, “Rejoice always!” It’s that easy! Don’t worry; be happy! It’s as simple as that. All your problems are solved. Let’s go into 2021 with a smile on our faces.

If only.

I’ll admit that the first word that I wrote as I was preparing for this sermon was, “How???” How can Paul say that to people who are anything but happy, and, maybe more to the point, how could we ever “rejoice always”?

For three commands in a row, Paul says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…”[2] That’s easy to do when life is good. It’s easy to be happy when you’re healthy, wealthy and spending Christmas with family. It’s not so easy when you’re sick, poor, or alone.

How can you possibly pray continually? You can’t go through life with your eyes closed, head bowed, and hands folded; you’d run into the wall or stumble down the stairs!

And you can’t possibly suggest that there is always a reason to be thankful. Hello! We’re in a global pandemic. People are sick and dying. Businesses are closing, some maybe forever. Christmas is canceled!

How can Paul say, “Rejoice always,” and expect that to work?

Well, I think it would be helpful to take a step back for a second, and to remember who Paul’s audience was. These were Christians living in Thessalonica in what is modern day Greece. In the introduction to his letter, Paul references severe suffering that they were experiencing. They may not have had to wear masks everywhere, but they were under intense persecution for their faith. They were specifically targeted and suffered far more acutely than anything we’re dealing with today. And to them Paul still said, “Rejoice always.”

There are reasons to be thankful in every circumstance. As Paul himself wrote, “In spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”[3] They could be thankful for the message of salvation by grace in Jesus given to them by faith which came through the Holy Spirit. God sent Paul to preach the good news to them, and they were thankful for it.

Not only that, but Paul goes on, “And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia – your faith in God has become known everywhere.”[4] They could be thankful for their role in sharing the gospel with others.

There is a way to be constant in prayer. Of course, you don’t have to have your eyes closed, hands folded, and head bowed in order to pray to God. All you have to do is speak to him from the heart. I had an old friend who used to say that to me every time I would visit her, “You know, Pastor, I talk to God all the time.” Don’t think of prayer as a customer service line you only call when there’s something wrong. Think of it like leaving your heart on speakerphone, maintaining a constant, semi-conscious connection with God all the time.

You can rejoice always, because true joy can’t be crushed by any circumstance. The kind of joy, gratitude and connection with God that Paul talks about here - they don’t come from circumstance; they come from the Spirit of God, who speaks to us through the Word of God.

I referenced for you the Gallup poll before that indicates that nearly every statistical category of people experienced a sizeable decline in those who said they were in excellent mental health… with one, single exception that actually saw an increase in excellent mental health: those who worship weekly.

It’s no accident that Paul follows his three commands by saying, “This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”[5] God wants you to be joyful, thankful and faithful, and the way God gets you there is through the gospel in Word and Sacrament, i.e. the exact things that we focus on in weekly worship. That’s why, despite increased restrictions, we’re still committed to holding in-person worship and constantly improving our livestream technology, so that you can receive the joy and gratitude God gives you in his Word.

That’s why Luther explains God’s 3rd Commandment by saying that “we should fear and love God that we do not despise preaching and his Word,” – or as Paul says here, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt,”[6] – “but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it.”[7] God wants the joy of his promises to be yours! But we stifle the Spirit when we don’t gladly hear God’s Word.

Are you depressed? The first question a pastor asks is, “How is your devotional life?” (It’s kind of like the spiritual version of, “Are you sure it’s plugged in?”) I can speak from personal experience that the times that I have been the most depressed in my life have been the times that I’ve been the worst at reading the Bible for a devotion. It’s not a cure-all, but I would say it’s one of the most common issues.

Are you joyless? I would ask, “What are you consuming?” Melancholy music makes for melancholy people. Agitated news reports make for agitated people. Aggravating social media posts make for aggravated people. You really are what you eat, or read, or listen to. Now, that’s not to say that social, news, or entertainment media are inherently evil, but they’re not exactly neutral either. They have a profound impact on us – body, mind and spirit.

That’s why God wants you to go through life with both eyes open, or as Paul says, “Test them all.”[8] In other words, be discerning. Ask yourself, am I stoking the Spirit in my life – who wants me to be joyful, thankful, and faithful – by reading Scriptures regularly, or am I stifling him by ignoring them?

The bad news is that oftentimes we rob ourselves of the ability to be happy. The good news is that God is the one who has the power to give us joy. That’s why Paul writes: May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.[9]

Paul calls him “the God of peace.” You know, at Christmas, we often call Jesus the Prince of Peace. When the angels announced Jesus’ birth, they said to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”[10] Jesus is the one who brings us peace with our God in heaven.

Even when you despise preaching and God’s Word, Jesus still loves you. When you close off communication with God by failing to pray continually, Jesus persistently speaks his Word of promise to you. When you rob yourself of joy, Jesus gives you the greatest reason of all to rejoice – he has made peace for you with God! He has forgiven all your sins by his holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death, including all those self-inflicted wounds. No circumstance can crush the joy of our salvation. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. No pandemic. No restrictions. No personal mental health struggles can separate you from God’s love for you in Jesus.

And Paul promises you, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”[11] God is the one who will “sanctify you through and through.”[12] God is the one who will keep “your whole spirit, soul and body blameless” until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.[13]

Being joyful, thankful and faithful is a process. In this life, you’ll have setbacks. The life of a Christian is not linear. You take 1 step back for every 2 forward. You could find yourself in a cycle, endlessly repeating the same steps over and over again, and that can be frustrating. But Paul reminds us that while the life of a Christian is a process, the final product is in God’s hands, and he is faithful and he will do it.

When Jesus comes again – not at Christmas, but at the End – you will be found blameless, not because you’re always able to keep a smile on your face and your mental health in excellent condition, but because you’re forgiven and redeemed in Christ. When Jesus comes again, you won’t have to fear a strained relationship with God, because no matter how many times you’ve strayed or wavered, God is always faithful to you. When Jesus comes again, you will be completely, entirely, wholly – in body, mind, and spirit – free from every anxiety, doubt, depression and fear. On that day you will be happy – truly and eternally happy – just as God wants you to be. God is faithful and he will make it happen.

Until that day, rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in every circumstance. God gives you reasons to be joyful, thankful, and faithful every day – from the daily bread of his loving providence, to the Word of promise where he reminds you of his gracious forgiveness.

Sure, this side of heaven, it will take work. You’ll have to be discerning and walk through this life with both eyes open all the time. You will have setbacks. But the God of peace will see it done because he is forever faithful to you through his Son, i.e. the Prince of Peace born at Christmas who is coming again.

Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly. Amen.  

[1] I realize that this is Canada and that these numbers and figures are not the truest indication of how Canadians feel, but I do think that it is fair to assume that we’re not far off of what our neighbours to the south are feeling.

[2] 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

[3] 1 Thessalonians 5:16

[4] 1 Thessalonians 1:7,8

[5] 1 Thessalonians 5:18

[6] 1 Thessalonians 5:20

[7] Luther’s Small Catechism

[8] 1 Thessalonians 5:21

[9] 1 Thessalonians 5:23,24

[10] Luke 2:14

[11] 1 Thessalonians 5:24

[12] 1 Thessalonians 5:23

[13] Ibid

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The Unattractive Side of Advent

Mark 1:1-8                                                                                                                                                    

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written    
in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Unattractive Side of Advent

Video conferencing has become a normal and nearly essential part of our lives these last 9 months. It’s been a blessing for worship and Bible study, for council meetings and conferences, for chats with the family and scavenger hunts with friends. My wife and I even had a virtual baby shower yesterday. Video conferencing can be great!

But as much of a blessing as it has been, it also has this uncanny ability to showcase the most unflattering and unattractive sides of us. If you’re not careful, on your Zoom call people will be able to see the mess on your desk or the stack of dirty dishes in the sink. Your phone or computer can catch you at the most awkward angles and in the most unflattering light. Video conferencing shows you as you really are, warts and all.  

After reading Mark 1, I kind of think John the Baptist was the 1st Century equivalent of a Zoom call. He was brutally honest and highly skilled at showing people what they really looked like.

Mark tells us that John was the promised prophet who was sent to prepare the way for the Lord. The prophecy from Isaiah goes like this, “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”[1]

The picture is of a king making his way across the desert to visit his subjects. A herald would go ahead of him, announcing his impending arrival and helping the people prepare for him. Part of that was purely logistical – make the way straight. So, you can imagine them filling in potholes, picking up litter along the side of the highway, rolling stones out of the way so that the king doesn’t have to walk around or over any obstacles.

Of course, all of this was figurative, prophetic language for how we can prepare, not our homes, but our hearts for the coming of Christ. That’s why John set up camp in the wilderness. It was a visible parable to describe the desolate wasteland of our hearts. We’re not always as polished and perfect as we like to think we are.

That’s why John came preaching a baptism of repentance, because we have sins to confess. John’s job was really to hold up a mirror (or a webcam) to let people see who they really were.

He was there to preach a baptism of repentance. That’s one of those big, church words – repentance. The picture is of a complete change, i.e. a 180° turn. It speaks to the condition of our hearts and how desperately we need to change. And so, the first part of repentance is realizing that something is wrong. Sometimes God has to shine a light on our hearts with his law to remind us that we’re not as good as we think we are.

That’s what John was doing in the desert. What’s interesting is that Mark doesn’t give us a single example of any of the people who came out to see John. All we have is this very general statement: “The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him, confessing their sins…”[2] But not a single sin is mentioned specifically.

Sometimes I think that would be easier. “God, just tell me what you don’t want me to do.” But, in this case, I actually appreciate the lack of information, because it prevents us from looking down on those people. It leaves no room for self-righteousness that’s tempted to say, “I would never be caught dead doing what they did!” or, “I may not be perfect, but I least I don’t do that!”

Instead, think of it this way: If every minute of your life was livestreamed and broadcast for the world to see, and then it was played back for you, how many times would you cringe, e.g. at your choice of words in a tense moment, at your inaction when someone really needed you, at the kinds of things you think and say and do when no one is watching you? I don’t want to be in the Truman Show. I’m glad no one’s filming me and my life.

But, you know, that’s the purpose of God’s law– to show us those unflattering and unattractive moments, when our guard is down and we’re unpolished and unfiltered. The law shows us our sin. And even though Mark doesn’t give us any examples of specific sins we should confess, God’s 10 Commandments give us a pretty good place to start.

In our hymnals even we have this helpful page. It’s called the Personal Preparation for Holy Communion, and it walks us through how we can hold up the mirror of the law to our own hearts. Here’s just one section of it:

Q:   What should I do if I am not aware of my sins or am not troubled by them?

A:    I should examine myself according to the 10 Commandments and ask how well I have carried out my responsibilities as a husband or wife or single person, as a parent or child, an employer or employee, a teacher or student. Have I loved God with all my heart, gladly heard his Word, and patiently endured affliction? Have I been disobedient, proud, or unforgiving? Have I been selfish, lazy, envious, or quarrelsome? Have I lied or deceived, taken something not mine, or given anyone a bad name? Have I abused my body or permitted indecent thoughts to linger in my mind? Have I failed to do what is right and good?

The point of this line of questioning is to help us arrive at the first part of repentance – to realize that something is wrong. But the point of John’s preaching wasn’t to stop there but to preach a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And that’s the second part of repentance – asking God for forgiveness.

That’s the difference between John and guys like Sacha Baron Cohen or “gotcha” journalists who just want to catch you in a compromising position and then share it with the world and glory in your shame. That’s not why John preached repentance. It wasn’t to put people down, but to prepare them to be lifted up by the gospel. To help them understand and appreciate how much they need God’s forgiveness – and then to point them to it!

That’s why John baptized people. When they confessed their sins, he washed those sins away in the waters of the Jordan River. And it wasn’t because the Jordan River was so clean. In fact, it had a reputation of being kind of dirty. No, the reason baptism washed sins away was because of the promise of God. And it’s the same for you and me.

The water in our baptismal font isn’t holy, but it does connect us to Jesus. The pastor doesn’t have the power to forgive sins, but he does have the ability and responsibility to point you to the one who does, i.e. to point you to Jesus, just like John did:

“After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”[3]

Jesus is the one with the power to forgive, because Jesus never had a reason to repent or any sins to confess. He could have had a camera crew follow him every minute of his life, and you wouldn’t have seen anything shameful or sinful. If it were possible to read his thoughts and record them in a book, we wouldn’t read of any lust or greed.

Jesus had such powerful self-control that he was able to resist all sin, but he also such powerful love that he sacrificed himself for you; he threw away a perfect life and died on a cross for a bunch of sinners like us, so that he could promise you forgiveness for your sins. That’s why, in our church, there’s a river connecting the baptismal font to the cross, because it’s Jesus’ holy, precious blood that washes our sins away. That’s why, today, we’re invited to take and eat Jesus body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins.

Because Jesus lived a perfect life as your substitute and died an innocent death in your place, God has forgiven all your sins. And now, through his means of grace – through the gospel in Word and Sacrament – Jesus continues to come to you in love to announce that every unpolished, unfiltered, unflattering and unattractive moment in your life has been wiped clean and redeemed in Jesus. Now, when God looks at you, he doesn’t see any warts, any flaws, any garbage in your background. He only sees the perfection of Jesus applied and attributed to you by faith.

It must have been hard for the people to go out to hear John preach in the wilderness and be reminded of all many and varied ways they fall short. But what relief to hear that we have a Saviour in Jesus. The one who came shortly after John demonstrated his power to forgive by dying on a cross for us and then rising from the grave in victory. He paid the price for our sin and promises us forgiveness and salvation. He promises us that, although he is gone from this world, he is coming back, and when he does, he wants us to be ready.

So, prepare the way for the Lord. You don’t have to have a spotless house. You don’t have to be put together or have your life in order. You don’t even have to have a pure heart. You just have to have a repentant one – that recognizes that something is wrong with us, but that rejoices that we have a Saviour in Jesus.  

It’s good for us to look in the mirror. It’s healthy to see ourselves in an unflattering and unattractive light, because it points us to Christ, who came the first time to take our sins away, and who’s coming again to take us home to heaven.

Come, Lord Jesus. Come quickly. Amen.

[1] Mark 1:3

[2] Mark 1:5

[3] Mark 1:7,8

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