An Attitude of Gratitude: “Upward”
An Attitude of Gratitude • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Of all the Holidays we have, Thanksgiving is the only one that originated as a Christian Holiday, specifically for the purpose or praising, worshipping and prayer to of God and Father.
In 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln established an annual national holiday of Thanksgiving to be observed on the last Thursday in November. Lincoln listed the off the advancements in society, the growth of the population, in spite of the war, and the increased prosperity of the nation as clear evidence of the grace, mercy and provision of God.
Lincoln’s Proclamation:
“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with His Divine purposes…”
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I thought it would be a great time for us to remember all the reasons we have to be thankful. And hopefully, with the Lord’s help, we will be able to main an attitude of gratitude all year, not just one special day of the year.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Three words for thankful here in Colossians 3:15-17.
(v. 15) Eucharistos (thankful): Mindful or favors, grateful, thankful. (It is an attitude or posture of thankfulness due to one’s awareness of God’s benevolent grace). {INWARD}
(v. 16) Charis (thankfulness): It is actually the Greek word for grace. We define grace as unmerited favor from God. It is actually where we get our English word… charity. It is an outward expression. In context of verse 16, this kind of thankfulness is expressed outwardly toward others. {OUTWARD}
(v. 17) Eucharisteo: εὐχαριστέω eucharistéō, yoo-khar-is-teh'-o; from G2170; to be grateful, i.e. (actively) to express gratitude (towards); specially, to say grace at a meal:—(give) thank(-ful, -s). {UPWARD}
Directed INWARD, OUTWARD, and UPWARD.
Directed Upward…
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
The Upward Attitude of Gratitude…
The Upward Attitude of Gratitude…
Expresses Thanksgiving to God.
Expresses Thanksgiving to God.
“…giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Gratitude isn’t a feeling. It is a response.
28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
1 O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is a great God and a great King above all gods…
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 lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
20 …always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father…
18 …in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
An attitude of gratitude expresses thanksgiving to the Lord.
The Upward Attitude of Gratitude…
The Upward Attitude of Gratitude…
Expands our Worship of God.
Expands our Worship of God.
“Whatever you do in word or in deed…”
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
11 …so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever…
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Paul’s example in connection to Colossians 3:16.
25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.
[This happened around 51 AD]
[About 10 years later, Paul wrote Colossians…]
16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
An attitude of gratitude expands our worship.
The Upward Attitude of Gratitude…
The Upward Attitude of Gratitude…
Exalts the Lord.
Exalts the Lord.
“…do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful…
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
23 “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me…
30 I will praise the name of God with song and magnify Him with thanksgiving.
David’s example:
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. 3 O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
Mary’s example:
46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. 48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. 49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.
What’s our example?
An attitude of gratitude exalts the Lord.
In closing:
Do you have an attitude of gratitude?
What has God done for you?
An appropriate way to respond to the message today is…
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
That covers it all.
Salvation (repentance and faith, resulting new life in Christ).
Restoration (repentance, resulting in restored fellowship with the Lord).
Sanctification (repentance, resulting in the growing of your faith and practice).
[Pray]
Our last song is “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”.
As you sing this song, think about the upward focus on an attitude of gratitude.
The last line of the song tells us what the whole song is about…
“Joyful music lifts us sunward, in the triumph song of life”
Memory Verse of the Week:
17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
