Thank You God for the Church

We Give Thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering fbefore our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hop in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul and his two partners, Silvanus (aka Silas) and Timothy, wrote to the “church of the Thessalonians” (1 Thess 1:1b). God established this church through the work of the apostle Paul’s second missionary journey. According to Paul, this church was “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ;" it was a true and legitimate church - a people united to God and Christ.

The three writers began their letter by disclosing their hearts, “We give thanks!” Surely this admittance speaks of more than empty words lacking emotion and feeling. They must have experienced that warm delight and joy that yields such rejoicing over a gift that naturally and necessarily spills over into words of gratitude and praise.

The catalyst for their hearts’ gratitude was “all of [the believers in Thessalonica].” The spiritual brothers and sisters were the great gift over which they rejoiced and in whom their hearts delighted.

The source of such a gift was none other than God and Christ. He alone stands as the great giver and cause of the believers in Thessalonica. For this reason, the three partners in the gospel work, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, directed their thanks not at the church but “to God.”

God Alone Creates the Good Gift of the Church

Indeed, this is an incredible thought. At one time, no church existed in Thessalonica. No one knew God. No one sought God. No one enjoyed communion with God.

But, God sent His servant Paul to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and “a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women” were “persuaded” (Acts 17:4). The gospel went forth and by the power of the Holy Spirit, God created a church - a people with whom and in whom he dwelled.

When Paul and the others considered the church, they remembered the work of God. They saw the work of faith, the labor of love, and the steadfast hope of the believers, and their hearts rejoiced as if saying: “Thank God! Look at the faith, the love, the hope! What a God who graciously turns idolaters into worshippers, hostile adversaries into beloved family members!” For the authors, to think of the believers was to be reminded of God’s abundant grace.

Give Thanks to God for the Church, Especially Your Church.

Ashamedly, complaining comes more naturally and quickly than thanksgiving. With ease, I spot the flaws, the blemishes, and the imperfections of my church. I notice the habit of tardiness in a fellow elder, the lack of faithful giving in a covenant member, the inconsistent attendance of a small group partner, the harsh tone of my critic, the unruly child of a young set of parents, and the unpreparedness of my serve team leader.

I walk away from our small group conversations disgruntled that more people did not talk during our discussion, that some did not come prepared, that others brought food without considering my allergies, and that no one besides me and the leader of the group is willing to lead the group in prayer.

I could contribute a few more paragraphs, because I am skillful at finding faults and failures - reasons to complain, but I will refrain. I think you get the point, and may even be able to relate.

Perhaps the key to moving past complaints to thanksgiving begins with a helpful example we find in Paul’s words. He tells us that he gives thanks when he “remembers before God and Father [their] work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope…” (1 Thess 1:3). Paul’s heart was moved to thanksgiving while he set his mind on the good work of God he saw in the believers of Thessalonica. Paul set aside time and directed effort toward recounting and reexamining the evidence of God’s grace in his brothers and sisters.

While complaint comes naturally without much effort, gratitude comes through discipline. Let us learn to slow down and consider the works of God’s grace in the people we know as the church.