Gratitude
okay, well, Welcome again and a high-tech and Carol. There are watching they're not out the window there on the on the internet. You guys can look. But yeah, the pan tilt Zoom doesn't work right now, taking care of it, we'll get it going but I am glad you're here today. Thursday will be our Thanksgiving and so kids, I have your pages, I think. Almost all you got it. I was able to find Bunch of things on being thankful so it's some brain activities but also things for you to color and it you can use it as decoration for your Thanksgiving table. There's even a part what you could thankful for. It's kind of like, riding down. Why you appreciate what God is doing? So as I'm talking, you guys can work on that cuz it's really important and there's other things too, but I'll tell you about those later. Okay, so we're working on gratitude. That's another way of being thankful. But gratitude, I feel as kind of a deeper feeling gracious, happy, those are kind of words we use but see happiness is based on happen. Miss things that happened to us but joy is based on a choice just like gratefulness or thankfulness. It's based on a choice. Gratitude isn't always about feeling happy or even having an emotional reaction to something in order to feel like you're thankful rather, it's a antidote to anxiety to worry. And even to falling in despair, it fights against all that. It's not that we come at these harder things in life, with glasses that are painted in a pretty color like Rose Colored Glasses. When we do that, we're pretending not to see what's going on around us. A way of saying it would be happy-go-lucky which is going to be happy. Go lucky but sometimes life around you isn't happy-go-lucky and Plastering that on our faces. It's a Hippocrates like we talked about the other day we're playing the part of being a happy person but God wants us to be authentic, on the inside flowing through to being authentic on the outside with thankfulness. And really it's a discipline to be learning how to be thankful knowing who we are in Christ that he has redeemed us. And that this is not all that there is so 1st Thessalonians 5 16 through 18, talks about how we need to give. Thanks and everything is super, super easy to give, thanks during good times, but it's not as easy to give thanks during hard times. As I was going through this week, I came across a verse and we've read this verse a lot and there's a song and we're going to sing it in a second, but it's a Hebrews 13:15.
I'm and it says, therefore through him, let us continually offer up to God. A sacrifice of praise, that is the fruit of lips that confess his name. A sacrifice of praise that really got me thinking, but it also got me thinking that we should sing the song. So I asked the worship team, we having practices this is really good, they were going to come up and help me sing this song so you can stand or not. Doesn't matter. Jessica you don't have to play a piano that you are unless you want to but I got my guitar. Okay, so it's we bring the sacrifice of praise and actually you might as well stand kids, it'll give you some energy usage. And I believe we repeat it two times.
We bring the sacrifice of praise.
Sacrifices.
play psycho by
Good job. If you didn't know that it's a really easy song. Thank you. There's a song at the end.
Thank you. These our worship team is nice because they deal with craziness. And I'm thankful for that. So, bring the sacrifice of praise. It's super, super easy. When I like a Psalm 118:1 says, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. So we read that, we think all that's really easy to be thankful. God, Psalm 118:6 says, the Lord is for me, I won't be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me? Well, that makes me think. If God is for me, who can be against me. And Hebrews 2:15, this is the book of Hebrews that we just read out of says that Jesus freed those who were held in slavery, all their lives by the fear of death. So he rescued those who believe in him from the fear of death slavery to death. Basically, we were. So in bondage we were tied up dying that Jesus rescued us, broke those chains and said, hey, you can live if you follow me and then Hebrews 2:18, we learn that Jesus was tempted but he never said. So because he was tempted, he's able to help us in times of Temptation. So that makes me think. Hebrews 4 14, through 16 says therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens Jesus, the son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are yet without sin. Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace, with boldness. So that we may receive mercy and find Grace to help us in time of need. This one's pretty cool. We could read those words but understanding of the little more would help see. The, the Jews had a sacrificial system that was the way they could worship. God, they had to sacrifice an animal in order to be forgiven from their sins, by God. But every year during the special time, the high priest would sacrifice an animal that would be for the sins of all of Israel. And he would go into this special place called the holy of holies where God's glory is said to dwell. And he would bring the sacrifice to God, but he can only do that one time a year and the rest of the time he couldn't go in there. He couldn't approach the glory of God, the Throne of God. But see Jesus, he is the high priest. She's the one that's in heaven. Giving us access to God's throne. That makes me really thankful because the Jews didn't have that, but here as followers of Christ, was a Jew or Gentile, we have that accessibility to God directly because of Jesus. And then Hebrews 7, 24:25 says, but because he remains forever, that's Jesus. He holds his priesthood permanently. Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. So he's high priest forever because of that, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede.
so, let's say, You do something really bad and you think know that that makes it so that God can't forgive me. Pretty sure. Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever. The high priest forever. The one that has the ability to forgive forever is also the one who can save completely, no matter what we have done because he already saw it all and he chose to forgive us while we were still sinners. So I'm thankful for that. Hebrews 915 says this, therefore, he is the mediator of a New Covenant, so that those are called might receive the promise of Eternal inheritance. Okay, so I'm going to inherit something great and eternal means forever. So that's pretty exciting, isn't it? And then Hebrews 12:28 says, because of death has taken place for Redemption whoops. Sorry. Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be thankful. We're receiving a kingdom. They can't be shaken. Means that a vote won't change a regime, a vote or an anarchy won't change. Who is ruling? The kingdom of God, will always stay because our high priest, it was forever. Who is God himself is on the throne So, I'm excited about that. But this verse has always been. What is most endearing to me? Hebrews 13:5. Keep your life free from the Love of Money. Be satisfied with what you have for him. So God himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you. Therefore we may boldly. Say the Lord is my helper. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? That one's probably changed my life. The most so I am thankful for that. And there's a lot of other things. I mean, sometimes we're thankful, because we got groceries for cheap, they had the little clearance sticker. That's pretty fun. Sometimes, we are excited because someone acknowledged us, that's a really big thing. Sometimes we get a promotion at work, we find that we had $20 lost in our car. And wow, we got a Bonus $20. Those all make us thankful and it's pretty easy to be thankful in those times. But we should read our verse again Hebrews 13:15 therefore through him. Let us continually offer up to God. A sacrifice of praise. That is the fruit of lips. I confess his name.
so, I asked this question, what in the world is a sacrifice of praise? I mean, we sing the song and we're really happy when we're singing the song cuz that's just what it is. But what is a sacrifice of praise? What in the world? Does that even mean? And why would this author of Hebrews say it? Well, see verse 13 15. The very first word there for you. Remember what we're supposed to ask? What is it?
Yeah, 1% of you guys got it does pretty good. Okay, we ask. What is it there for? Why is it there? Which means we have to go to what's before it and we already read a lot of Hebrews. We read that God is with us. God has freed Us From Slavery. He helps us in Temptation. He helps us. Go to the throne of God. He saved completely, we have eternal Kingdom. All those are really wonderful. We need to know who his riding to and why. This is probably written right before the temple was destroyed. So, see in Jerusalem, the temple was there and the high priest was still there. Giving sacrifices for the people's sins on the day of atonement. There would be that sacrifice for all of Israel, since he that's was still going on, but these followers of Jesus, we're not in Jerusalem, they were not able to serve God that way. And in this new covenant Christ is a sacrifice once and for all but they're having thoughts that maybe maybe I need to do that again. They have been cut off by their fellow Jews. They have been ostracized, they have been persecuted. They've lost land, they have lost belongings. but, At this point, they should have been mature as far as our price instead. If it works.
They kept drinking milk, not like a baby bottle milk, but they only wanted to know enough about the Bible to just have enough like a little baby if he drinks milk or she drinks milk. Have just enough, but as a person gets older, even 23 or like this guy, we normally eat solid food. The same. When we become followers of Christ, we learn on the little things, a all have sinned be believe in the Lord. Jesus Christ, those are milk, but then as we grow, we ask hard questions. Like, what in the world does sacrifice of? Praise mean. But these Hebrews were not there, they just wanted a little bit. Professor David, Talley says, in other words, Their life seem to be so much easier and better when they were not following Christ because Hebrews specifically tells us that they had lost property that they had been thrown into prison and here's what they would think. If I just give up Jesus, then maybe my life would be the way they used to be. Believe it or not. This was a conversation that Amy and I had last week as well. Maybe if we weren't in Ministry, life wouldn't be as hard. So, even followers of Christ have done it for a long time. Can have lapses of wanting to drink a bottle of milk. And think, okay. Would life be as hard if we didn't have a Target on us. That's what the Hebrew Christians were feeling. They have a Target on them, because they're followers of Christ because they have accepted his sacrifice once and for all gotquestions.org, says this, the term sacrifice and praise might seem to be opposites. We sing the Praises and we normally a lot of times were happy, when we're singing them, So we think of sacrifices offering something at Great cost to ourselves, Praise. On the other hand sounds joyful as it bubbles from a grateful heart. However, in the spiritual realm sacrifice of praise are intertwined, praise. They're not always cost us. Something realize that praise doesn't really cost us much. We praise our dogs for fetching the ball. We do that. We praise someone for doing a good job. Praises offense, our response to some action that directly benefits us and we feel generous because we extend it. So we offer praise because something helped us made us happy. So then we praise
We often find it easy to praise God, from the same motivation. And this got me when he has blessed us, helped us protected us. We feel generous towards him. We can sing worship and talk about how good he is because we can see it. That kind of Praise. Although worthwhile does not cost us anything. It is not a sacrifice. A praise of God is not to be based on our opinion of his job performance. Prince cannot be treated as a reward. We give God for his obvious blessings. How many times have we praise God as a reward for helping us? I think a fair amount. And that's the hard thing because life isn't easy. I mean even Jesus said in this world you will have troubles and temptations and trials. But trust me stick with me, believe in me because I have overcome the world. So what do we do? Cuz Romans 12:1 says that we are to be Living Sacrifice we are to be Willing to set aside who we are and what we want for our life to follow God. And Jesus was the greatest example of that, he was willing to follow God. Like George says, not my will, but your will be done. Jesus! Followed God all the way to the cross. Hebrews 11 shows a lot of these Heroes of Faith who were willing to risk it all, because they trusted that God had a plan for them. They trusted that he loved them that they were called, and that he would make all things new. Even if it did make sense to them, they had faith that God would do that.
Got questions. Keep going on. Then, there are those times. When God did not come through the way, we thought he would, the medical test comes back positive, the spouse wants a divorce. A child is Wayward, the mortgage company calls and alone. God seems very far away and praises. The very last thing to Bubble Up from her heart. We can't see God's goodness and circumstances scream that he has forgotten us. Have you ever been there? Tabriz got in those times requires personal sacrifice. It takes an act of the will to lay are all on the altar before God. We don't understand. When we bring a sacrifice of praise, we choose to believe that. Even though life is not going. As we think it should, God is still good and got to be trusted when we choose to praise God, in spite of the storms, he is honored and our faith grows.
Meeting about praise or gratefulness is that when we are grateful or thankful? It's really hard to be better when we are thankful. It's really hard to be angry. It's kind of like God knew what he was doing when he said to praise or Rejoice continually to give, thanks in all situations.
But I'm glad that we have a God that understands that thankfulness is hard. But we can still choose to be thankful. We can grieve but we can be thankful. We can hurt but still be thankful. We can be bewildered and still thankful because God has a plan. He is with us and he will never leave us.
So don't be fake, Christians. Slapping on the happy face, because that's not who you are. That is not Who We Are. But understanding who we are in Christ allows us to be thankful to Growing our thankfulness to praise him even though the storms of life are going on and that it's just impossible. But thankfully scripture has examples, see job, he lost almost every single thing including most of his health and he was sitting there in the Desolation in the ash sitting amongst the broken pots and this is what he said, he shouldn't have praise God, he should have been thankful for anyting but he says this then drove stood up towards robe and shaved his head. He fell to the ground and worship saying naked. I came from my mother's womb and naked, I will leave this life, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed. Be the name of the Lord. Throughout all this job, did not sin or blame God for anything. So job was able to bring the sacrifice of praise to God. And then David, In Psalm 69 13 through 16. He says, but as for me, Lord, my prayer to you is for a time of favor and your abundance faithful love. God, answer me with your sure. Salvation rescue me from the Miry mud. Don't let me sync. Let me be rescued from those who hate me, and from the deep water, You see, people are after David at this time. He was afraid of being killed and he's saying, praise to God, don't let the flood waters sweep over me or the Deep swallow. Me, don't let the pit closes mouth over me, answer me. Lord for your faithful. Love is good in keeping with your abundant compassion, turn to me and as David was in the cave. Hiding out. He says, I remember the days of old I meditate on all you've done. I reflect on the work of your hands. I spread out my hands to you, I'm like Parts land before you answer me quickly Lord my spirit fails don't hide your face for me or I will be like those going down to the pit let me experience your faithful love in the morning for I trust in you reveal to me the way I should go because I appeal to you rescue me from my enemies. Lord. I come to you for protection. Teach me to do. Your will for you. Are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground for your namesake Lord. Let me live in your righteousness. Deliver me from trouble. So even though David was basically facing death, he was able to praise God, offering that sacrifice of praise and then we get the Acts chapter 16 then, you know, the story. Paul and Silas. They're out. Praising God telling people about Christ and about his salvation and many people are coming to them. But verse 22 says, the crowd joined in the attack against them and the chief magistrate stripped off their clothes and order them to be beaten. With rods. After they have been severely flawed, they threw him in jail or during the Jailer to guard them carefully. Receiving such an order, you put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in stock, okay? So these guys, Paul and Silas are now in jail locked up and that was after they were beaten and flogged. So, insult injury. First 25 says about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, And the prisoners were listening to.
Why? Why would they do that? Because I realize that there are things to praise God for. Praise God, for him, rescuing our heart, and our soul, for giving us a new life. So here they are praising God. In the midst of this storm of, they're going through in this pain, they're able to still follow God. They definitely brought a sacrifice of praise, and the end result. Of when habakkuk was talking to God about the Israelites, they weren't following him and got his telling him all the consequences that were about to come. Pretty bad ones there will be taken away and lots of things would happen and habakkuk 3. 17 through 19 says though the Fig Tree does not, but there's no fruit on the vines of the olive. Crop fails and the fields produced no food, though the flocks disappear from the pin, and there are no herds in the stall. Yet, I will celebrate in the Lord. I will rejoice in the god of my salvation. The Lord of my Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like those are deer enables me to walk on Mountain height. They just said all these really bad things and yet he was able to praise That's pretty incredible. These are regular people. But what's great is that Revelation 21 tells us what our praise, what our glory and our adoration leads to one day soon. We will be with Christ and he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more grief crying in pain will be no more because of the previous things have passed away, then the one seated on the throne said, look, I'm making everything new He also said these words, right? Because these words are faithful and true. So it is really really hard to praise God. When life is basically crumbling around us but we do have a choice. To choose thankfulness is a very huge sacrifice. I think, when we're going through hard times but it's the way we can praise God. So to me, that's a sacrifice of praise. It's not just words, we quickly read, we quickly, sing, and then move past because sacrifice always has a cost. Praise sometimes, doesn't always have a cost, but when we have a cost sacrifice of praise, that is a pretty high thing and that's what God calls us to.
So I challenge then is how to praise in the storms of life. And this is where I'll need the worship. Team to help again, but you know, the song I think from Casting Crowns, Praise You In the storm and When I was working on this. So I want you to do two songs. I said, I don't like doing my guitar when I have to preach and God said, here's the two songs. So this is the second one, I'll praise you in the storm because it fits very well with what God is. Well saying to us
That's the longest training session ever.
Thank you, Amanda.
Raise my head and praise to God.
Celebrity.
Maybe I can.
Havana.
My husband has my help comes from the Lord.
Crazy lady.
How can we praise God in the storm month is?
There's been a lot of times when specially to our families, that's something like that, where a song would come up and I couldn't sing it. Because I was crying. But that's okay. I can still worship God through that. Put another way we could do it is we can do something called a gratefulness journal or is thankfulness Journal. We write down things were thankful for.
Help from the three people.
Hail Dallas and Molly, if you don't mind.
And I have something. You came up.
I w.
Molly, if you want to do this route in Dallas, if you want to do this, basically, what you're doing is he We're going to pick one thing out of there. It's like a grab bag, but it's all the same thing. So you pick one thing. And I'll tell you what it is so you guys can start passing it out. While they're doing that Colossians 3:17, incursion us to give thanks in everything to be thankful for everything. Someone 36 verses 1 through 26 and it's for kids as well. Sorry. Even kids can have it because of what, I'll tell you in a second.
Maybe you picked it up, brother. I'll boosted on the audio, that's how it goes. Okay, so I'm not sure where I left off, but I'll think about it cuz sometimes when things happened, Satan does not want his God's message to get out. So, being grateful. Is important but the scripture gives us some help someone 36 talks about God's love and doing forever and David gives 15 more reasons that we can be thankful. So if you wanted 15 reasons, someone 36 Will give you some more because God loves you. You can be thankful because God is faithful, you can be thankful because God is with you. You can be thankful because you will be with God one day soon. You could be thankful. So why do you have one of these little things? Because you're like, well,
That mini is giving me something. I can't even write on it. I have to have two sets of glasses in order to even see it is basically what I'm getting but it's really cute, isn't it? It's handmade. It's made out of leather. Smells like leather. And every time you see it, I want you to think. How can I be thankful to God today? How can I write down? And it doesn't matter if you write it down in this, or you, write it down and something else you write on your phone, make sure it's backed up. So that you always have record of what God has done. So you can be thankful for it so yeah, it's small. It's weird. But it's cute and when you see it, think how can I be thankful to God for what he has done for me? How can I not just think it because our thoughts are fleeting, but how can I write it down? So that I do not forget his faithfulness and his great love to me?
One last thing that I want to leave you with as what one of my friends said, all of SpaceTime is like a snowflake, been God's Palm but he ask you personally to call him father.
Is it possible to praise God in the storm? Is it possible to bring a sacrifice of praise when life around us is crumbling? And I say, yes, Osprey.
God, I thank you that you love us, unconditionally all the time. Sorry for the many times that I really am not thankful. I am I appreciate that. We don't have to be thankful for our circumstances but we can be thankful within them. Knowing that you have a plan you will use it for her maturity in our growth, making us more like Christ your son and God as we going to this Thanksgiving week, I just asked that this little strange book that you had me. Buy for every one pops up in the weirdest, strangest places, and the craziest. I'm so that we remember to thank you for what you've done for us and your great love for us in Jesus name. Amen.
Okay, Ira benediction is found action Hebrews as well. Just a few verses later now. May the God of Peace, who brought up from the dead, our lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the, through the blood of Everlasting, Covenant. Equip you with everything good to do, his will working in us. What is pleasing in his sight through? Jesus Christ to him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Take your little journals. I mean you can't write much but take them and really do think about it. Not because it helps me because honestly, it doesn't, but it's between you and God. And are thankful. This goes a long way. I'm glad you're here. Hope you have a good Thanksgiving and I'll see you next week. You're not dismissed but you can sit down. You're dismissed. Thank you. Okay.