Tim Timberlake - Chain Reaction
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Summary:
This message, titled «Chain Reaction,» centers on 1 Thessalonians 5:18—"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you"—to show how gratitude isn’t just a feeling but God’s clear command that sparks a powerful chain reaction in our lives. Drawing from Paul and Silas praising in prison (Acts 16) and Habakkuk rejoicing amid loss, the preacher stresses that thankful praise in tough times—through our speaking, singing, and sharing—releases God’s power, breaks chains, frees others, and moves us into new seasons. The big takeaway is that gratitude proves our love for God, keeps the enemy from silencing us, and activates breakthroughs because the thankful can’t fail while staying vocal about His goodness.
Opening and Scripture Reading
We’re grateful that you have come to worship God with us today. I believe God has a word for you this morning, a word for us, so we’re going to get right to it. Amen. Go in your Bibles to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 18. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 18. Amen. We’re gonna read this passage of Scripture, then we’re gonna pray, and then we’re gonna get right after it. Is that alright?
1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 18. When you’re there, say, «I’m there.» If you’re not there, say, «Wait on me.» I hear a lot of «Wait on me,» so I’ll wait another moment. Alright, let’s read. It says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 18, «In everything, give thanks.» Everyone say, «Give thanks.» «For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. In everything, give thanks.» One more time, say, «Give thanks.» «For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.» Let’s pray.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you, God, for all that you are doing in us and in this place. So God, we give you the glory, we give you the honor, we give you the praise. In Jesus' name, all those that agree, shout, «Amen!»
Chain Reaction
I want to talk to you today from the subject of «Chain Reaction.» Everyone say, «Chain reaction.» A chain reaction is defined as a series of events, each caused by the previous one. As a little kid, I used to play with dominoes. I would set those dominoes up in a little maze formation, and I would stack each one up at the necessary distance to be knocked down by the previous domino that would go before it. The more dominoes I had, the longer the chain reaction would be. And how many of you know how frustrating it is when you get right to the end, and you accidentally bump one of those dominoes, and all of them just fall, and you have to start right back over?
But it’s so gratifying, I don’t know why, when you set all of them up, and then you press the first one, and you just watch all of them knock each other down, creating a chain reaction. There’s a game show on television now called «Chain Reaction,» and the premise of this game show is to place the right word in the right position so that you can move to the next round.
I found that to be so powerful in this particular season of Thanksgiving, where we have the ability to place the right word in the right position to take us from this season to the next. That word is gratitude. Everyone say, «Gratitude.» I believe gratitude causes a chain reaction in our lives that allows us to go from this season to the next. Jesus has a love language, and that love language is trust. When he allows us to enter into a new season, it would behoove us to return gratitude to him.
The Power of Gratitude
One of the things that I’ve learned, and you guys have heard me say this some time ago, is that the thankful cannot fail, and the unthankful cannot succeed. Every blessing that I get that does not turn back into praise eventually turns into pride. So, I cannot receive anything from God that I don’t return gratitude back to him. As I take in the breath that he gives me, I have to return the breath to him who gives praise back to him. Every opportunity we get to come into his house and give God thanks and gratitude, we’re giving him his breath back. He blows breath into us, and when we say, «God, thank thee,» we blow breath right back into him.
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 18, the author says, «In everything, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.» He says, «In everything, not for everything,» which means you’re going to go through some situations and enter into some seasons, and you may go through some tests and trials that you’re not grateful for, but in the midst of them, you still have to give thanks. Not for the trials, not for the tests, not for the tribulations, but because you know that in the midst of those things, Jesus still remains faithful.
I’m not praising God for the pain; I’m praising God in the pain because God is good, regardless of what I may be going through, regardless of my situation, regardless of my circumstance. In the midst of it, I must show gratitude. There’s an attitude of gratitude that I have to give back to God because, regardless of my situation, he has been good. Is there anybody grateful for the mercy and the grace of Jesus Christ?
Rejoicing Like Habakkuk
I want to read something to you from Habakkuk chapter 3, verse 17. The ESV translation reads, «Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor the fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock could be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the Lord.» What he’s saying here is that although I have no income, although I have no food, although the land reveals no fruit, I will still rejoice in the Lord. My faith is not anchored in things; my faith is anchored in him. My faith is not anchored in something; my faith is anchored in someone, and his name is Jesus.
He says, «Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me to tread on my high places.» To the choirmaster, with string instruments, I will rejoice. He’s saying, «My circumstances may not be good, but my God is.» I may not feel like it, but I will anyway. My situation may not reflect what I am believing God for, but God has never failed me. There’s one passage of Scripture in the Bible that I love that says, «I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging for bread.» Is there anybody grateful that God has never failed you? Is there anybody grateful that no matter what the scoreboard may look like right now, you have never lost the battle? When you look at his scorecard, he remains undefeated. Your God is good all by himself.
No matter what you may feel like, David said, «I will bless the Lord at all times, and his praise shall continually be in my mouth.» That means when I feel like it, I’m gonna bless the Lord. Whether I’m in a good season, I’m gonna bless the Lord. Whether I’m in a bad season, I’m gonna bless the Lord. Whether I’m on the mountaintop or in the valley low, I’m gonna bless the Lord because what God requires of me is not predicated upon how I feel.
Have you ever noticed throughout the Bible? God never asks, «How does this make you feel? Are you comfortable with this? Is this okay with you?» No, he says, «This is the expectation.» When we look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 18, it says, «In everything, give thanks.» That’s the expectation. In every season, give thanks. Not just for a day in November, not just when you get a raise or promotion at your job, not with everything going great in your life, not when your kids are making good grades. But in everything, give thanks! When you don’t feel like it, give thanks! When your body is wrecked with pain, give thanks! When it seems like chaos is breaking loose, give thanks!
You’re not giving thanks for the situation, but you’re giving thanks in the situation because that’s the expectation. Nothing proves your love more than gratitude and Thanksgiving. I’ve come to learn that your reaching reveals your faith, your tears reveal your passions, but your praise reveals your gratitude. Is there anybody in here that has their mind made up? I won’t go through what I’m going through silently; my pain will serve a purpose, and my pain is gonna profit me. I’ve refused to go through any test, any trial, or any tribulation without the pain profiting me. I’ve also refused to allow my pain to strip me of my voice. I will continue to lift my voice and praise God—not for the situation, but in the midst of my situation! If the enemy can steal your voice, he can delay your destiny.
Paul and Silas in Prison
I want to take us to a passage of Scripture found in Acts. Acts chapter 16, verses 20 through 25. This is a very familiar passage of Scripture if you’ve been in and around church for any period of time. But I want us to look at it a little bit differently today. Acts 16:20 says, «They brought them before the magistrates and said, 'These men are Jews and are throwing our city into an uproar.'» I pray that people say that about me. I pray that people say that about us—that we have thrown our city into an uproar. We have turned our city upside down for the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Say, everywhere we go, we are reflecting the goodness and the grace of Jesus Christ. Every door we enter into, we reflect the love and the mercy of Jesus Christ. We are turning the city upside down for the glory of God, and our city is in an uproar. A city is changing and reflecting the love of Jesus Christ because we have positioned ourselves to be that reflection of Jesus. It says that these men had turned this city upside down, and they began to take on a reputation to be trouble starters, fire pokers, praise initiators, blessing givers—taking the message of Jesus Christ with them wherever they went. They would not go into a region, city, or territory without talking about Jesus.
It said that this got them into a little bit of trouble. As we continue to read in verse 21, «By advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice, the crowd joined in and attacked Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.»
I don’t know about you, but I never thanked God for getting a spanking growing up. I’ve never once been grateful for any type of discipline growing up. It’s uncomfortable! My dad would always talk to me in love, never raising his voice. He would always say, «Son, this is gonna hurt me more than it’s gonna hurt you.» And I would say, «How? How is this even possible, man? How is this going to hurt you more than it’s gonna hurt me?» Then he would go on this whole dialogue and say, «Do you know why you’re being disciplined?» If I knew I was being disciplined, bruh, I wouldn’t have even done it in the first place!
Then he would say the craziest thing to me after the first whipping: «Stop crying before I give you something to cry about.» Wait, like, what are you saying right now? I’m not supposed to cry? I’m still in pain! You’re telling me this hurts you more than it’s hurting me? Why don’t you cry? I’m confused! I’m baffled. This is something I’m not supposed to cry about. But none of us have ever rejoiced for being disciplined. Paul and Silas had been stripped naked. It says they’ve been beaten, and they’ve been flawed. That’s like the next level of beating—you’re butt naked in the middle of the town square, and they go to town on you in front of everybody. You get thrown in prison, and your first response is, «I’ve got to praise God!» What type of individual, what type of perspective, what type of knowledge do you have to understand that regardless of what happens to you, God is going to get some glory out of this situation?
Whatever happens to you, believe God is going to get glory out of this. And you have to have your mind made up: «No matter how I feel, God, you’re gonna get glory out of this.» In Romans, it says that he takes the good and the bad and makes them work together for the good of those who love the Lord.
It continues to read, «When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell» (verse 24) «and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns.» This is after they had been beaten, after they’ve been stripped, after they’ve been embarrassed, after they’ve been disassociated with the rest of their circle— their friends, their family. They’ve been put in jail, and not only have they been put in jail, but they’ve been taken to the innermost part of the jail. It says that around midnight they begin to pray and to sing!
What is it that they know? What is it that they have an inclination of? What is it that they have a suspicion of that would lead them to pray and sing? They understand that no matter what happens to us, it can’t stop what God is doing in us. No matter what’s happening to me, it can’t stop what God wants to do through me. Is there anybody in this room that has their mind made up? No matter what the situation is, no matter what the circumstance is, no matter how I feel, I will bless the Lord at all times! I know my circumstance is painful; I know it seems like it’s gonna drive me crazy, but I’m gonna give my problems problems with my prayer and with my praise. It can’t steal my voice, it can’t steal my sound, it can’t steal my worship. I’m gonna return God his breath back and give to him what he requires of me. He’s been good to me all by himself!
Paul and Silas are locked up in jail. They’re locked up in the inner cell; they don’t have any clothes on. And they begin to pray and they begin to praise. Then it says the others begin to hear them. In verse 26, it says, «Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once, all the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.»
God is saying to you today, you may be tired, you may be bound, you may have shackles around your feet, but you cannot give up now. You have to continue to press in, you have to continue to persevere, you have to continue to praise because if you can do those things, it will free you of every bondage that has been trying to hold you back.
Point 1: Your Speaking
I want us to look at three things that we can identify in this passage of Scripture. The first thing is your speaking. Everyone say, «My speaking.» Paul and Silas understood that our hands may be unchanged, but our words are free. As long as I can release my words, I can free my mind. As long as I can release my words, it releases power on my behalf. As long as I can release my words, it turns God’s attention to my circumstances and situations. Proverbs chapter 18, verse 21 says, «Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.»
There’s power in your words. Growing up, my parents used to tell me, «Son, your words are like 1,000-pound weights. Be careful the way you place them.» You have to be careful the way you place your words because your words have power, and whatever you want to see, that’s what you have to begin to say.
If you want something to be magnified, begin to speak about it. You want your problems to be magnified, begin to speak about it. You want your blessings to be magnified, begin to speak about it. You want your situation to be magnified, begin to speak about it. You want your God to be magnified, begin to speak about him. Whatever you want to magnify, that’s what you begin to speak about.
In Matthew chapter 12, verse 37, it says, «By thy words, thou shalt be justified, and by thy words, thou shalt be condemned.» Words are bridges, doors, walls, and windows. Whatever you want to release, that’s what you say. In Genesis chapter 1, it says that God said something thirteen times, and then he saw. He had the power to imagine and then create. But God understood that I must release the words into the atmosphere so that they can manifest. Not only did he say it, but then he gave you dominion to utilize his name to have the same authority. Whatever it is that you want to see, you have to begin to say. If you want to see something, you have to say something.
That’s why praise and worship is so important, because you’re releasing your words into an environment, and you’re returning back to God what he’s given you. In the morning, I remember playing basketball in high school. Before each game, I would look in the mirror and tell myself, «Tim, you’re a bad boy. Ain’t nobody on that court that can stop you. Ain’t nobody on that court that can guard you. The only person that can stop you is you.» I would hype myself up! I’d been in the mirror, saying, «Let’s go! You got this! Everything you need is in your hands. You are the man!»
And in the morning, you’ve got to talk to yourself. You’ve got to tell yourself, «Look at me, nobody can stop you! No devil in hell can check you! There’s nothing that can stand in front of you because God is for you!» And then you need to start talking about how good your God is. «God, you’re a good God! Besides you, there is no one else! You are bigger than my situation! You’re bigger than my circumstance! You’re bigger than my test! You’re bigger than my trial! You’re bigger than the sickness! Your name is Jesus, and your name is above every other name! I will speak on your name until I see the goodness of the Lord! I will speak on your name until my situation changes! I will speak on your name until I feel different!»
Some of you need to release some words in this place! Some of you have been holding on to some words; some of you have had some words trapped up on the inside of you that you need to release so that you can see the blessings of the Lord released over your life! If he can steal your voice, he can delay your destiny! But you have to talk yourself out of the situation that you may be faced with today. You’ve got to talk yourself out of the circumstance that you may be facing today.
I was a smooth talker when it came for me to be disciplined. I knew how to talk to my parents; I knew how to talk when it came to Christmas time. I knew how to give takes before I got anything in return. I knew how to present myself in the word they live in sacrifice so that I could get what was on my Christmas tree. «Listen, Mom and Dad, you’ve been good all year long. You’re the best parents I ever had! There is nobody like you, Dad! Are you good looking, Mom? Are you fine?» They say, «What do you want, boy? What is it? Y’all give you everything. Take the money, take the gifts, take the gift card. You got everything you need!»
I’m telling you, when you start to magnify the name of the Lord, and you start to release your words, he starts to release favor on your life! And if you can release what’s in your heart here or at least what’s in his hands, he’s giving you power to speak those things that be not as though they were. Be careful of what you say because your words can take you from one season to the next.
I have my mind made up! I’m not staying stuck where I am! I believe God has a place for me, and my words are moving me there. My praise is moving me there. My thanksgiving is moving me there. My gratitude starts a chain reaction, and when the chain reaction starts, chains are broken off my life. And when chains are broken, burdens are lifted. My gratitude starts a chain reaction. I will not remain silent. I will use my words because my words have power!
Your speaking. The Word of God teaches us to boast in the Lord. That means to talk good about your God! That means every time you open up your mouth, praises come out! That means no matter what your situation looks like, you say, «God, I give you thanks!» That means when you don’t feel like it, «God, I give you praise!» When your kids are driving you crazy, «Lord, I thank you for these kids!» When your bank account has more debt in it than you have income, you say, «God, I thank you that you’re gonna give me increase!»
When there’s more month than you got money, you say, «God, you’ve provided more than enough for me!» You have to start talking yourself out of one season and into the next season. Your words have power!
Point 2: Your Singing
Number two is your singing. Your singing! I know what some of you are thinking: «I can’t sing to save my life!» The person beside you probably thinks the same thing. But the Bible says make a joyful noise to the Lord—like a joyful noise! It says they begin to pray and they begin to praise. Your singing creates a climate that Satan cannot penetrate or tolerate. Songs of worship dispel the demonic spirits that try to attack you.
There’s something powerful about your singing; something powerful about your singing! You proclaiming and professing who Christ is through your singing! I know it may sound crazy to you, but it sounds good to the ears of Jesus. 1 Samuel chapter 16, verse 23 says, «And it came to pass, when the evil spirit was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand, and Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.»
When he released a sound, the evil spirit was sent on its way. There’s a sound that you have on the inside of you that needs to be released to enter you into your new season. Your new season is waiting on the activator, which is your singing. And when you release that sound, it utters you from your old into your new where God says, «The old has passed away; behold, I’m doing a new thing.»
Is there anybody in here expecting and anticipating God to do something new in your life? How many of you know if your expectation is on 10, then there must also be a sound that’s on 10 as well! When your anticipation is on 10, there must also be a sound that’s on 10! There has to be a sound barrier that’s broken in order for your season to be broken open. If they had remained silent, they would have remained shackled. But their prayer and their praise crossed the sound barrier that released them out of bondage.
I believe today God has placed a sound on the inside of you, as strange as it may sound and as crazy as you may think it is. I know that as you cross that sound barrier, chains will break off your life. When you open up your mouth and you release a praise to God, it releases chains off of your life! When you open up your mouth and you release a praise to God, it releases bondage off of you! It releases you into your new season. And it may not make sense, but God has not called you to do things that make sense; he’s called you to do something uncommon because he desires to bless you in an uncommon way.
God has not asked you to do something normal; he’s called you to do something abnormal. God has not called you to do something common because he is not a common God. He’s not asking you to do something in your natural; he’s asking you to tap into your supernatural. He’s not asking you to do a hard thing; he’s calling you to do an impossible thing because he desires to be the God of impossibilities.
And just like all of us, God loves praise. He loves worship, for the Word of God says he is worthy of our praise! As you go throughout this week, I encourage you to take a moment to write down in your journal or on a piece of paper every time you think about it something that you’re grateful for, something that you can give God thanks for, something that you can say, «God, I praise you for.» Every single time you get an opportunity, just write it down: «God, I give you the glory! God, I give you the praise! You made a way out of no way! God, I didn’t think I was gonna come out of this, but somehow, someway, you brought me out. God, I didn’t know how it was gonna work out, but somehow, someway, you worked it out. God, I didn’t know how I’d be delivered from this, but somehow, someway, you delivered me out of this!»
He is a deliverer; he is a redeemer; he is a restorer! And every single time he brings you out of something, I want you to remember, recall, and write it down. Because when you go back over it, you can boast in his goodness, and it gives you the faith for your next trial, for your next situation, for your next test! To see if, «God, you brought me out of this, I know you’ll give me the strength to get out of this thing that I’m in right now!»
So I want to share with you two things that I’ve learned about singing. The first one is your singing brings joy to the one you sing to, and number two, your singing brings confusion to the one you’re fighting against. I know you may not think you sound good, but the enemy thinks you sound worse! You have to open up your mouth, and you have to release to God a song! You have to release to God a song! When you’re in the shower and you’re singing, it releases chains off of your life! When you’re caught in the car and you’re singing, it releases chains off of your life! When you’re in praise and worship and you’re singing, it releases chains off of your life!
I encourage you to use your speaking and your singing. There’s power in your song! It doesn’t matter what you sound like; it matters who you’re singing to!
Point 3: Your Sharing
Number three is your sharing. Scripture says that as Paul and Silas begin to pray and they begin to sing, it says that other people in the jail cell heard them. It says that not only was Paul and Silas freed; not only did their chains break open, but everyone in the prison got free too!
The thing that sticks out to me in this passage of Scripture is it doesn’t say everyone began to sing. It doesn’t say everyone began to pray. It says two people began to pray and sing, and everyone got free! So you mean to tell me that you have enough power in your prayer and your praise to free other people who have not yet understood why they should pray anyway and why they should praise? The answer is yes! Where there are two or three in his presence, there he is in the midst of them! Where you come into agreement, there’s power in your prayer and praise!
It says that they began to share out loud; they began to sing out loud, and it says that suddenly there was an earthquake. I believe today that when you begin to pray, I believe today that when you begin to praise, some «suddenlies» are going to take place in your life. Some doors are gonna swing open, and you’re gonna be freed from some things that have been holding you back. Some chains are gonna be released off of your life; some bondages are gonna be destroyed, and some yokes are gonna be removed because you’ve opened up your mouth, and you’ve released your prayer and your praise. I believe the people in your life are gonna get free because you have decided, «I’m gonna share!»
That’s why it’s so important to talk about what God is doing and to bring people with you to church. Because he’s been good to you, and you know he can be good to them as well. Has God been faithful to you? Has God been good to you? Has God shown up in your situation and your circumstance every single time you needed? Is he still undefeated? And the answer is always yes! God is victorious; he’s undefeated! And because he’s undefeated, he made you an overcomer.
Are there any overcomers listening to me right now? Are there any victorious people? I hear that sound of my voice right now! If that’s you, I encourage you to stand on your feet, lift your hands, open up your mouth right now! Oh Lord, you’ve been so good to us! You’ve been so good!
Keep Pressing and Closing Encouragement
Now, there’s some of you in here right now saying, «Well, I’ve been trying my best. I still haven’t heard anything from God. I still don’t feel anything different. I assume I’m going through the same thing that I’ve been going through.» I just came to encourage you today: keep pressing! Keep believing! Keep having the attitude of gratitude! Keep expecting! Because God is preparing something for you!
Yesterday, I bought my son this dinosaur set, and they make toys in these really complicated boxes now. They’re super hard to get open. So I got my back turned to him, and I’m sitting here trying to open it, and he’s behind me looking over my shoulder saying, «Daddy, I want to play!» I’m telling him, «Hold on, I’m working.» He’s like, «Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!» I’m like, «What?» He’s like, «I want to play!» I’m like, «Hold on! I’m trying to get it open!» And he’s like, «Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!»
Some of you in here today think God is ignoring you. God is not ignoring you! Listen to me! God is busy preparing something for you! I said God is not ignoring you; God is busy preparing something for you! And listen to me, when you get it after he’s prepared it, it’ll be better than what you anticipated or expected!
God is telling you today, «I’ve made a way for you! I’ve prepared a way for you! I’m making the way out of no way! I’m making every mountain flattened! I’m making every valley raised!» If you can believe, he said, «I will provide!»
Paul and Silas understood not only should we pray, not only should we praise, but we have to tell as many people as we can about the goodness of our Savior. I just encourage you today, when you leave out of this place, tell as many people as you can how good and faithful God has been to you! You have not been through all that you’ve been through to keep it silent! You overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the words of your testimony! There’s power in your prayer; there’s power in your praise; and there’s power in your sharing!
There’s power! So this is what I want us to do today: the worship team is gonna come back up. I want us to cross the sound barrier today. I want us to hit the frequency of the celebration station today! I want us to release a sound in this place that penetrates darkness and puts a light in the right places! And we serve notice to the enemy today that he can no longer steal our prayer! He can no longer steal our praise! We’re gonna share the goodness of the Lord, and we will do so every chance we get, every day we get, every second we get! If that’s you, let’s praise and worship God right now!