"ENTER THE GATES" | Gratitude | Joshua 24:1-13

Introduction: How to enter the gates

Psalm 100:4–5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.

The writer of this Psalm gives us the credentials or the password combination to enter this sacred space- called the presence of God. The second part of this password combination is to remember God’s nature and character:

GOD IS GOOD | GOD IS MERCIFUL | GOD IS FAITHFUL AND FOR HOW LONG? | TO ALL GENERATIONS

GRATITUDE

The act of offering thanks or being thankful, usually to God. Often connected to provision, deliverance, or God’s character.

To understand how to “ENTER THE GATES,” we must do a historical review or reflection of God provision in family history, In our church history?

In the text today, Joshua the last leader of Israel, address the assemble in his farewell address and gave the people a history lesson and reminder of God provision, protection, deliverance and faithfulness dating back to Abraham.

God reminded the people or the generation that enter the promised land of how they got to there and who was responsible. And they could trace His faithfulness, his goodness and mercy in all their generations

God character of goodness and mercy can be trace in our bloodlines

REMEMBER TO RETURN

In Luke 15 we told of a young who remember his father provision and kindness and that was a beginning on the road to return and restore a broken relationship. The Bible says: “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!” - (17)

Regardless of the circumstances of your life, how far you have failing, what chains are holding you captive you can return by applying these keys of gratitude.

GOD IS IN THE STORY

In the chorus of the song entitled: God is in the story Katy Nichole says:

God is in this story God is in the details Even in the broken parts He holds my heart, He never fails When I'm at my weakest I will trust in Jesus Always in the highs and lows The One who goes before me God is in this story.

God is in our stories; we did not get here all by ourselves; it is God's doing. His grace, His blessings, and His unending love from our mother's womb till now are all the doings of God. You have a reason to express gratitude to God.

AT’S ALL ME

This was the lesson God was teaching Israel in Joshua 24

I took (3) ; I Give (3-4); I Sent; I defected (5) ; I brought; I did ( 7); I handed (8);

I annihilated(8); I would not listen (10) and I rescued