11/27/2022 - Just Say Thank You!

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes November 27, 2022 Just Say Thank You! Psalms 50: 7-15 7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me. 9 I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 1 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Happy Thanksgiving GP and Friends of GP. This morning, I want to share a brief insight on the act of giving thanks as related to us offering thanks to God. But first, “Did you know that two of the most powerful words in the English language are Thank You? When offered sincerely and intentionally, these two words, “Thank You”, can have a powerful effect on people, as well as circumstances and conditions. From a biblical perspective, these two words of gratitude can and will open up the windows of heaven and unleash a blessing that you won’t have room to receive. Given that, this morning I want to share with you what God has to say about these two words relative to His children’s dependence upon Him for everyday living First, let me say that saying “thank you” can be somewhat difficult for Americans to say. Not because we’re ungrateful, but because we are conditioned to reciprocate or offer something in return when a kind gesture is extended to us. 2 Oftentimes, we feel awkward when someone does something nice for us or to us – or they simply extend a compliment to us. [Nice outfit; love your hair; beautiful smile; like that cologne or perfume fragrance]. We feel a since of obligation or need to repay the giver for their kindness. Or, we feel undeserving or unworthy. Some of us feel downright uneasy about receiving a gift of some sort because we wonder if there is some catch, or if there’s some strings attached. In all honesty, if the latter is the feeling we come away with too often, then it’s probably because we ourselves don’t freely give or share enough from our own heart. [I’m just saying] Our cultural conditioning and our cultural experience can often get in the way of allowing us to wholeheartedly return or extend “Thanks” to God as He deserves and expects [from us]. If we’re not careful, our conditioning can cause us to offer God a halfhearted expression of “thanks” and/or cause us to attempt to match “Thanks” owed to God by doing something religious or legalistic in His Name. [That’s called giving back to God or paying God back for doing something good for us, to us, or through us. ]. It’s the American Way, because it makes feel self-satisfied. But God has a different message for us on the subject of saying “Thanks” to Him. It begins with the title of this message: Just Say Thank You! Turn with me to Psalms 50 verses 7-15 [for the rest of the story]. It reads: 7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 3 8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me. 9 I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” This passage reflects a perspective on what God has to say about expressing “Thanks” as it relates to worship and life. In this passage, the setting is of a courtroom with God Himself the Judge, Israel is the defendant, and heaven and earth the witnesses. This is not a trial that took place long ago in Israel’s history, but instead is God’s continuing evaluation of His children throughout the world and at Grace Place. 4 In verses 1- 6 the court is called into session. In our target verses, 7-15, God here assumes the position of both judge and prosecuting attorney – testifying against His people Israel. In verse 8, God makes it clear at the outset that Israel has not been remiss in bringing sacrifices to Him. It says: 8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me. God’s chosen had been faithful in bringing their burnt offerings. But the trouble was that they thought these rituals completely dismissed their obligations to God. They were like children who treat their parents snooty and indifferently throughout the year, then turn around and smother them with lavish gifts on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. So, God begins to protest. He complains that while they had loaded His altar with sacrificial animals, they had treated Him personally with cold neglect. On the one hand, their offerings were precise and correct. On the other hand, when it came down to a warm personal relationship with the Lord Himself, they were coming up seriously short. That’s why God says in verse 9: I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds. In plain language, God is saying: “I’m not a ritualist, satisfied with religious ceremonies – going through the motions -- and neither have I ever intended right outward action to serve as a cover for wrong inward attitudes. Stop trying to impress me with stuff . . . that is already Mine. 5 In verses 10-13, God reminds His children of something they/we know well, but often don’t apply very well. He says: 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? If they would only stop to think, God’s people would realize that God owns all the creatures in the world anyway. -- every beast of the forest . . . , the cattle on a thousand hills . . . all the birds of the air, and everything that moves in the field. They would quickly realize that God doesn’t need a single thing from men. [He doesn’t suffer hunger; if He did, He wouldn’t have to ask us for anything, because He has a well-stocked pantry. Nor does He derive nourishment or satisfaction from bulls’ meat or goats’ blood. In that sense [and every sense], God is totally self-sufficient. That brings us to the crux of today’s message found in verses 14 & 15. It reads . . . 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” What then does God want from His people? Only a few things, but according to the spirit of this passage and it final two verses – what God 6 wants from us is the one thing that He doesn’t already consider to be His own – and that is a sincere expression of Thanks from His children. After all is said and done, the only thing God’s children are expected to offer God is -- Thanksgiving. Everything else already belongs to Him. So, since we have nothing in our possessions that God doesn’t already own and that He has provided to us His ultimate best possessions -- then our only response is “Thank You”. Psalms 116: asks: 12 What shall I render to the Lord For all His benefits toward me? At best, vows of love, worship, service, adoration, and devotion – all of which culminate in Thanksgiving or Giving Thanks. We have to learn to say and convey from the heart: Thank You from God’s perspective, not the American Way – which “Thanks” is culturally tainted with motives. Finally, I want to challenge you to practice rendering unto God intentional, heartfelt thanks for things that are beyond the material and even familial – things like jobs, cars, houses, family, church, life, health and strength—but rather precious, intangible promises like: Thanks for: Romans 8:1 . . . There being now “No condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.” 7 Romans 8:28 . . . The fact that now “All things work together for God to those who love the Lord”. Lamentations 3:22-23 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. So, since we have nothing in our possessions that God doesn’t already own, let us be grateful children always mining our manners to offer to God the only thing that He says is fitting and satisfying to Him – that is Thanks and Thanksgiving. Just Say Thank You! It’s All We Have! Psalm 119:62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments. 8