Developing a Heart of Thankfulness

Felt need: we struggle to be grateful in all circumstances because often times it feels as if we lost or lack something.

Solution: recalibrate by focusing on what we have gained in Christ - primarily who He is

Big Idea: The way we become grateful in any and all circumstances is when we focus our mind on the One who is Great. // Or I might phrase it as: The character of God is the foundation for our gratitude - not our circumstances. Circumstances tend to make us doubt His character, not delight in it.

Overview

Share story of losing my airpods and them exploding in the middle of the highway with the sentiment of being sad because it felt like I lost a item that I truly love and enjoy

Share definition from Webster’s Dictionary — Grateful: appreciative of benefits received

Ask: why do we struggle to be grateful, when life doesn't go our way?

Ultimately, we struggle to see what “benefit is gained” when relationships and circumstances don’t go the way we hope. Give examples

Ask: How can we become grateful in any and all circumstances even when it feels like we didn’t have a benefit gained/recieved but lost?

Psalm 100.

Gratitude is not only an attitude it’s also an action. It’s not just something we feel but something we demonstrate. We express our gratitude through what we say and what we do.

(Say) Joyful noise v1,v4

(Do) Serve w/gladness v2

Problem: But how do we live with grateful hearts when life doesn’t go our way. Revisit airpods and other examples (failed exam, crush likes your best friend, ran outta gas etc)

Balloon analogy

2. Solution: The way we become grateful in any and all circumstances is when we focus our mind on the One who is Great. // Or I might phrase it as: The character of God is the foundation for our gratitude - not our circumstances. Circumstances tend to make us doubt His character, not delight in it.

Use text to walk through greatness of God

v2 God’s presence - Share how the gospel gives us access to His presence and how this becomes the foundation for which followers of Jesus will always have reason to rejoice, always a reward that they have gained despite any “loss” they experience on earth.

v3 God is creator

v3 Shepherd

v4 King

v5 Good

v5 Steadfast love

v5 Faithful

Conclusion: We began by defining gratefulness as appreciation for a benefit recieved. When life strikes and it feels like there are no benefits recieved but rather lost - we can live with with gratitude because of what we gained through the cross - a relationship with the One who is truly great. // Or I might phrase it as: The character of God is the foundation for our gratitude - not our circumstances. Circumstances tend to make us doubt His character, not delight in it.

Intro

Felt need: circumstances make us question God’s character

Solution: God’s character - and access to Him is unending reason to be grateful

Story of losing my AirPods and them exploding across the highway

Define “grateful” Definition - Grateful: appreciative of benefits received (Merriam-Webster’s dictionary)

Given this definition, why do we struggle to be grateful, when life doesn't go our way?

Ultimately, we struggle to see what “benefit is gained” when relationships and circumstances don’t go the way we hope. Give examples

Life events often make it feel like we are losing something rather than gaining something.

But what if our circumstances were never meant to be an end in themselves in which we find fulfillment, what if they were intended to be a means to something greater? How would that impact our heart/emotions and our actions?

How can we become grateful in any and all circumstances even when it feels like we didn’t have a benefit gained/recieved but lost?

Psalm 100 ESV

A Psalm for giving thanks. 1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100 has two very clear components to it. 1) The character of God and 2) our response to His character.

1. What does the text say about His character?

LORD (YHWH) 4x

Desires to be with us (v2) - present the gospel at this point and highlight the impact of the gospel granting us access to His presence.

Creator (v3)

Owner/Shepherd (v3)

Judge/King (v4)

Good (v5)

Steadfast-Love (v5)

Faithful (all gens) (v5)

Do you see the greatness of God? This is who God is.

How are we to respond? We express our gratitude through what we

If God is so great - why do we struggle to be grateful?

Because circumstances cause us to doubt God’s character.

Because we are focused on the benefit we lost/didn’t recieve instead of the benefit that’s already been afforted to us in Christ.

If we truly understand the gospel and the character of God we will always have reason to rejoice.

Because we struggle to see the benefit recieved in our present moment. We struggle to see the benefit of not passing the exam, the benefit we receive from our crush liking our best friend we struggle to see the benefit of getting in a fender-bender. So instead of responding with gratitude, we respond with sadness, stress, anxiety, concern, complaining, and all kinds of negative emotions.

God promises to work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Why? Why do we struggle to believe that? Ultimately, because we allow our circumstance to impact our view of God’s character instead of allowing God’s character to impact the way we view our circumstance.

circumstances are a end not a means

If circumstances are not end end - what are they a means to? encounter the greatness of God

Outline

Circumstances - events cause emotion

Take a moment to take out your phone and write down the top 5 things in your life that cause you to experience negative emotion.

When you look at that list - how many of those things that caused you to experience negative emotion were things that impacted you directly? How many of them were based on things that were happening in the lives of others?

We are self-centered

Emotions & Time

Emotions are typically tied to certain events

Emotions tend to be associated with specific points of time. If we simply life into three categories: past, present and future

Embarrassment and/or happiness can be based in the present moment

Sadness is typically associated with a past event (even when you’re sad about something upcoming its because you were made aware of it previously)

Excitement is typically associated with the future

Stress is typically associated with the future

Gratitude is typically associated with the past

How do we have a posture of gratitude that supersedes time and space? when we learn to dictate our response not to events that have happened, are happening or could happen (past, present, future), but to the presence of a Person - Jesus

some emotions can apply to past and future events. For example: I can be

Balloon - character > circumstance

Fill a balloon w/breath and alternate breath with describing negative events: failed test, ran outta gas, my crush likes my best friend, didn’t make the team, struggling to find good friends, didn’t get the job, lost a loved one, extra bill to pay, etc (stop before it is about to pop, allow it to fall to the floor and describe it)

A balloon is a flexible bag that can be inflated with gas, with the intended purpose of floating, and bringing happiness to those who behold it.

If you were to look at this balloon, would you say it’s fulfilling it’s purpose?

No - why not? Filled with the wrong substance.

In order for it to float it has to be filled with helium - a gas that is less dense than the air around it.

Circumstances are like the air we breathe they are a normal part of life that come and go.

You’re life is like this balloon.

If we allow ourselves to be consumed with thoughts of what is happening to us or around us, we will be like this balloon on the floor - full but not fulfilling the purpose for which it was made.

If a transcript were to be printed of your thought life throughout the day or week what would the tone of that narrative be? Would it be one of gossip? of complaining? of crude joking? Or one of joy, gladness and thanksgiving?

So how do we fill ourselves with the right substance a substance that allows us to rise above circumstances and “float” no matter what comes our way?

Being grateful is the result of learning to fill ourselves with what is great

Outline

Problem: is our emotions are based on a event not a person

Solution:

Definition - Grateful: appreciative of benefits received (Merriam-Webster’s dictionary)

If this is the definition of what it means to be grateful? Why are we not full of gratitude?

Because we struggle to see the benefit recieved in our present moment. We struggle to see the benefit of not passing the exam, the benefit we receive from our crush liking our best friend we struggle to see the benefit of getting in a fender-bender. So instead of responding with gratitude, we respond with sadness, stress, anxiety, concern, complaining, and all kinds of negative emotions.

God promises to work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Why? Why do we struggle to believe that? Ultimately, because we allow our circumstance to impact our view of God’s character instead of allowing God’s character to impact the way we view our circumstance.

So how do we re-train and re-wire our response to life to become one of gratitude and not negativity?

View events not as a end - but as a means. to something greater - someone greater

Outline

Felt need: lacking joy and gladness b/c we are self-centered

Solution: Delight in the greatness of God

Big idea: We become grateful by focusing on the unending greatness of God.

Action: Praise - rejoice - fix eyes on Jesus - worship

Intro:

Play mic’d up video then ask the question, if you were to be mic’d up for a day, what would people hear? What would the soundtrack of your life sound like? Would it be one of joy and gladness? Or one of complaining, gossip and negativity?

We all have a tendency to focus on the negative - in others, in circumstances, in ourselves and even in the world.

Not surprisingly, negativity doesn’t lead to a joyful life, so how do we live with joy and gladness when there is so much to lament in our daily lives?

Please turn with me to Psalm 100

Psalm 100:1–5 ESV

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Gratitude is the result of granted access into God’s presence v2,3

Present the gospel - emphasize how it impacts our relationship with Him and our ability to be in His presence

LORD - YHWH 4x - Who is YWHH

Present

Creator

Owner/Shepherd

Judge/King

Good

Steadfast-Love

Faithful (all gens)

vs 3 we belong to him

Access to Jesus is the foundation for true gratitude.

James 1:17 “17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” - if we thank anything other than Jesus we have missed glorifying the giver of that good thing.

Gratitude is expressed through: joy, gladness, and thanksgiving v1,2,4

Make a joyful noise - our words, everything that comes from our mouth should be marked by joy

Serve the Lord with gladness - all of our actions are to be done with gladness

Thanksgiving - is not just what we say it’s how we live.

Our entire lives are meant to be a response to the grace of God and the greatness of God. Romans 2:4“4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”

Gratefulness is the response to God’s greatness.

Greatness of God in the text: LORD (YHWH), Creator, Shepherd, King, good, love, eternal, faithful

Access to His presence v2,4

Being His people v3 (we belong to Him)

Choose to praise v1,2,4 (b/c of who He is v5)

Our lives consist of what we say and what we do.

what we say is to be marked by joy

what we do is to be marked gladness

The source of joy and gladness isn’t found in this world but in us being found in God. It’s not found in what worldly things belong to us but how we belong to God.

LORD - YHWH 4x - Who is YWHH

Present

Creator

Owner/Shepherd

Judge/King

Good

Steadfast-Love

Faithful (all gens)

vs 3 we belong to him

joy is to be the sound of our lives

gladness is to be the way in which we serve

11/12 The Attitude of Gratitude: Developing a Heart of Thankfulness Ps. 100:4 D. Hummel

In this message I focus on the importance of gratitude, cultivating a thankful heart and the impact of a thankful spirit.